The Royale (Bush Theatre)

Getting punched in the face for a living is a tough job, but one that can offer undreamed of riches and fame to a black man in the racially segregated America of 1905.

But for Jay 'The Sport' Jackson, the black heavyweight boxing champion, it goes much further than that. He's determined to prove he's the heavyweight champion full stop, by coaxing the white champ out of retirement and flattening him.

Jackson's character is inspired by the career of boxer Jack Johnson – the Galveston Giant – who became notorious at the height of the Jim Crow era.

But playwright Marco Ramirez has zipped up Jay's role by adding a healthy portion of the scathing wit and featherlight dance moves made famous by Muhammad Ali, who baffled his opponents as well as offering a new kind of entertainment for the crowd.

With Madani Younis's sharp and cleverly choreographed direction, not a single punch is landed in The Royale, yet with each smack and 'ooh!', the blow connects.

Nicholas Pinnock gives an extraordinary and intensely committed performance as Jay. You either look like a heavyweight boxer or you don't – and Pinnock certainly does, combining a powerful physical presence with the swagger and braggadocio of a man who knows he's at the top of his game. But in this carefully nuanced role he also reveals all the insecurities – even terrors – that haunt Jay's career.

Gershwyn Eustache Jnr is also outstanding as his sparring partner, Fish, and has clearly been training hard. Fish is the warm-hearted, honest friend everyone would like to have, and his triumphant joy in witnessing Jay's success is heartbreakingly short-lived.

The champion's career is backed by the experience and wisdom of trainer Wynton, played by the super-cool Clint Dyer, and wheeler-dealer promoter Max (Ewan Stewart), who risks his own career by agreeing to broker an inter-racial fight.

But the champion's nemesis comes with the arrival of his big sister Nina, played with cool conviction by Frances Ashman. There's a simmering menace to her analysis of how her brother's success will impact on the safety and security of everyone connected with him.

That persistent unease is also reflected in Ed Clarke's excellent sound design, and lighting designer James Whiteside highlights all the dramas of the ring. Jaimie Todd's design is simple but ingenious and packed with atmosphere, right down to the knitted boxing shorts, and trampled flyers from past matches.

The Royale pulses with emotion, and Jay's agonising decision over whether to risk the wrath of a white crowd by daring to win gives the play a lasting, chilling resonance.

The Royale continues at the Bush Theatre until 18 April 2015