Roy Williams'

Sucker Punch

Writer 
Roy Williams

Director
Tramaine Trace

Location
The Carne Studio

Download cast sheet

View Relaxed Performance Guide

Dates
Friday 11 October at 7pm
Monday 14 October at 7pm
Tuesday 15 October at 2pm*
Wednesday 16 October at 7pm
Thursday 17 October at 2pm 

*This will be a relaxed performance. Find out more.

The running time is 1 hour and 55 minutes, plus an interval.

About the show

In the red corner: Leon Davidson - Black British champ or Uncle Tom? In the blue corner: Troy Augustus - American powerhouse or naive cash cow?

Having spent their youth in the same London boxing gym, vying for the favouritism of inspirational, foul-mouthed trainer Charlie Maggs, the two former friends step into the ring and face up to who they are. Boxing has dominated their lives with an unhoped-for structure and meaning, but it becomes clear that it is no substitute for their health, family, and friends.

Roy Williams' Sucker Punch looks back on what it was like to be young and Black in the 80s and asks if the right battles have been fought, let alone won. 

Tramaine is a director interested in telling relatable and compelling stories from diverse perspectives. She has directed new writing at popular venues such as Soho Theatre and Theatre 503, working on contemporary plays that explore thought-provoking themes related to real people in real relationships navigating the complexities of real life.

Her directorial credits include Essentially Black at Soho Theatre, Flat Shoes in the Club? and We Inna Panoramic at Theatre 503, and The Light at The Carne Studio. As an Associate and Assistant Director, she has contributed to productions such as Possession at the Arcola Theatre, The Wonderful World of Dissocia at Theatre Royal Stratford East, and The Breach at Hampstead Theatre. Tramaine trained at LAMDA, earning an MA in Directing, and also holds a PGCE in English and Drama from UCL.

Roy Williams is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning writer whose plays have been produced in theatre such as the National Theatre, Royal Court and Lyric Hammersmith. He has also written for Television and Film with companies such as Channel 4, BBC and Sky.

Roy’s work include an adaptation of The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner
 (Pilot Theatre/UK tour); Sucker Punch (Royal Court) Category B (Tricycle); Angel House
 (Eclipse Theatre/UK tour); Days of Significance (RSC); Joe Guy (Soho Theatre/Tiata Fahodzi); There's Only One Wayne Matthews (Polka Theatre); Baby Girl (National Theatre Connections); Wildefire (Hampstead Theatre) Absolute Beginners (Lyric Hammersmith); Little Sweet Thing (Nottingham Playhouse/Eclipse Theatre UK tour); Slow Time (National Theatre Education); Fallout (Royal Court); Sing Yer Heart Out For the Lads (National Theatre); Clubland (Royal Court); The Gift (Birmingham Rep/Tricycle); Local Boy (Hampstead Theatre); Lift Off (Royal Court); Starstruck (Tricycle - Winner of John Whiting Award, Alfred Fagon Award, 1997); The No-Boys Cricket Club and Kingston 14 (both Theatre Royal, Stratford East) and an adaptation of Antigone (Pilot Theatre/UK tour). Soul: The Untold Story of Marvin Gaye (Royal & Derngate Northampton/Hackney Empire co-production) The Firm (Hampstead Theatre Downstairs) Death Of England (National Theatre) Death Of England: Delroy (National Theatre) Out West Trilogy (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith) NW trilogy (Kiln Theatre) The Fellowship (Hampstead Theatre) Heather (Lyric Theatre Hammersmith)

Radio work includes adaptations of ER Braithwaite's A Choice of Straws and To Sir with Love, John Wyndham’s The Midwich Cuckoos, The Likes of Us (Radio 3), as well as eight series’ of The Interrogation for BBC Radio 4.

TV and film work includes Fallout (Channel 4), Babyfather (BBC) Offside (BBC), Let It Snow (Sky One), Soon Gone: The Windrush Chronicles (BBC), Fast Girls (DJ Films) Death of England: Face to Face (Sky Arts).

Contains use of racist language, references to fighting/violence, depictions of fighting/violence, references to intimacy/sex, strong language, sexism, homophobic language, and alcohol/implied alcoholism.

Creative Team

* LAMDA staff member or visiting artist

Director
Tramaine Trace*

Designer
Finlay Jenner*

Producer
Rebecca Lyle*

Costume Supervisor
Hannah Danson*

Wardrobe Assistant 
Hana Underwood*

Lighting Designer & Prod LX
Callum Duncan

Sound Designer 
Abi Brophy 

Voice Director 
Gurkiran Kaur*

Movement Director
Yami Löfvenberg*

Fight Director
Kieton Saunders-Browne*

Intimacy Director
Ian Brener*

Cast

Troy
Tobias Adetula

Charlie
Lewis Bowes

Ray
Mostyn Crawford

Leon
Kenndrick Horton

Squid
Jamar Morgan

Becky
Muireann Ní Fhaogáin

Tommy
Reuben Thomas

Production Team

* LAMDA staff member or visiting artist

Production Manager
Peter Johnston 

Stage Manager
Velia De Nicola

Deputy Stage Manager
Heather Trevelyan 

Deputy LX / LX Programmer
Angelika Marr

Production Sound Engineer
Jay Cheung 

Production Carpenters
Alex Hoppe
Patrick McAneny