THE SWEET SCIENCE OF BRUISING
Bute Theatre RWCMD | Set Design | December 2023
Four diverse Victorian women find empowerment and liberation in the demanding underworld of 19th-century women's boxing.
Playwright : Joy Wilkinson
Director : Joanna Bowman
Costume Design : Theo Wyatt
Lighting Design : Hannah Broman
Sound Design : Jasmine Lewis
Fight Director : Kevin McCurdy
Stage Manager : Grace Taylor
Photography : Kirsten McTernan
CONCEPT
THEMES: Through gritty determination, our four protagonists prove they have what it takes to forge their own paths in the male-dominated Victorian world. Focusing on themes of adaptation and evolution, these women transform both their craft and their characters.
CONCEPT: Paralleling the performance of boxing with the stage, the space, once a theatre, has been repurposed by The Angel Boxing Club as an events venue. In this new context, objects associated with the theatre find a new purpose in the boxing world—sandbags become punching bags, theatre ropes become boxing ropes, etc. Semi-aware, the characters set their own scenes and manage their own transitions in whirlwind sequences designed to maintain the momentum of the fight. Performed entirely in the round, the set is essentially a raised square stage with a surrounding circuit catwalk. The corners of the space are defined by vertical ropes stretching to the ceiling, causing no visual obstruction. The furniture consists of repurposed crates, stacked in various configurations, providing a simple, safe, and economical design that allows for versatile use of the space.
