Beautiful Burnout

Synopsis

Four young men and a battling lassie are training in a Glasgow gym. They want to be champions and win fistfuls of money. They are learning to land 950 punches out of 1000, like Calzaghe. Beautiful Burnout tells a bruising and lyrical tale of aspirations and counterpunches, delivered in a visceral, hearts-in-yer-mouth production about one of the most controversial sports of our time.

Our Review:

Karen Bussell - 4 October 2012

Excuse the pun but Frantic Assembly’s (in cahoots with The National Theatre of Scotland this time out) latest offering is knock-out.

Bryony Lavery’s Beautiful Burnout is a simple, acutely observed but somewhat obvious tale of five youngsters who channel their angst into perfecting the ‘noble art’. But given the Frantic Assembly trademark touch, the otherwise borderline trite becomes lyrical, balletic and dynamic.

The simple raised platform – portraying the gym, Cameron’s home and the ring – is backed by a plasma screen on which video enhances and interacts with the action from time to time and of particular delight is the stone-throwing scene.

A revolving centre allows slo-mo and freeze frame in stark and hypnotic contrast to the exhausting energetic press-ups, star jumps and skipping. The tight direction commands the pace to perfection.

Cameron (Stuart Ryan), wound spring tight and heading for trouble, is saved b...

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