A Day Out at Sucker Punch at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch

*AD – this experience was gifted to our family for this post. All opinions, as always, are our own.

I was lucky to be invited to Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch to watch the play Sucker Punch for Life with Jupiter and Dann. It’s a lovely modern building with a well stocked bar to grab a cold drink pre-show or during the interval. The auditorium itself was laid out so that all seats had a perfect view of the stage which made a refreshing change as this is not always the case for shows I have seen in London’s West End.

The play itself was engaging and well-acted. At its core it is about a clash of cultures, black culture, working class culture, in conflict with the pervading culture of Thatcher’s Britain. The story is about a young black boxer – Leon – trying to beat prejudice and become a world champion. It quickly becomes apparent that it is incredibly difficult to reconcile his identity with the public image that is required of a black sportsman under massive public scrutiny in the 1980s. It eventually becomes clear that this is an impossible feat without losing a part of himself.

There was an interesting subplot that navigated the reality of interracial dating during the time period – something completely uncontroversial today, but fraught with risk at the time. There is also a more subtle theme to the play than the racial dynamics present throughout, that of power dynamics. The message I took away is that people with power (regardless of their membership of any ethnic or socioeconomic background) are capable of exerting that power over others in an exploitative and coercive way, often for financial gain. This for me is the most relevant take home message of the play.

It is an enlightening snapshot of a world and culture that thankfully no-longer exists, but  that audience members born in the early 1980s or before will likely remember and relate to. There are moments of light humour throughout which serves to offset the more serious aspects of the play. I would fully recommend the show and the theatre, it was a very pleasant evening. Personally, I would give the show a 4 out of 5 and hope to be attending this theatre again soon.

You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!