CityLife

A Boxer's Shout @ 24:7

THIS brief, but intriguing, work is only one of 17 new pieces of writing, which you can enjoy during the 24:7 Festival, surely one of the most exciting and interesting events to happen in the area for some time.

A Boxer's Shout is set in an institution where two of the inmates have been patients for years. Written by Philip Lightfoot, who also plays Parry, he appears to have been a famous actor with friends among the rich and famous, like Olivier, Geilgud and Coward.

It's only when he confuses speeches from various Shakespeare plays that the audience realises that all is not as it seems.

Fellow inmate Honeycombe, played by Gary Bird, has the annoying habit of bursting into snatches of Elvis Presley hits, but it's finally with his help, playing different roles, that Parry's real story unravels.

We then discover who the boxer really is and the circumstances which brought him to his present state.

It would have been interesting to discover a bit more about Honeycombe's character but, in a performance which lasts less than an hour, the audience were totally involved until the surprise ending.

A Boxer's Shout is repeated at the Black Lion, Chapel Street, Salford, on Thursday, July 29. For more information on the 24:7 events, call 01244-500247 or visit the website below.

NATALIE ANGLESEY