By Marco Ramirez / Nicholas Pinnock as Jay “The Sport” Jackson / Directed by Madani Younis/ Omar Elerian/ Lucie Pankhurst
Bush Theatre, London

Marco Ramirez’s The Royale is a muscular, electrifying drama inspired by the life of Jack Johnson, the first Black heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Blending the intensity of the boxing ring with the rhythm of a chorus, the production explored race, spectacle, and the cost of visibility in America through a visually striking staging that positioned the Bush Theatre as a home for bold, internationally resonant new writing.

“★★★★ A knockout production — gripping, inventive and politically charged.” — Time Out