The Sweet Science Of Bruising

The Sweet Science of Bruising by Joy Wilkinson.

Set in Victorian England, this play melds melodrama with ideas about female emancipation to tell the story of boxing promoter Professor Charlie Sharp. He assembles a quartet of women from very different backgrounds. Each has their own reasons for taking to the boxing ring with the aim of becoming the “lady champion of the world”.

Polly is a natural born fighter. Anna is in an abusive marriage who regularly must submit to her husband’s blows. Matty is a survivor with a career portfolio that includes sex working and childminding. Violet is a nurse who would like to train as a doctor. This play explores the connections between these women which exist beyond the boxing ring.

This is an amateur production.