Context on Beautiful Burnout:
The inspiration for Beautiful Burnout came from many
different places; at ten o’clock in the evening, through a hidden doorway in
the street, the writing team went to Gleason’s world famous boxing gym in
Brooklyn. They described it as “Mesmerising, entering a world you knew was
there but never had a direct experience from.”
Bryony Lavery, one of the main writers, knew that she had to
capture the credible physicality of boxing within the style of physical
theatre. Boxing was thrilling, described as “The noble art – The Sweet Science”
It was revered and idolised by artists, academics and those who dedicated
themselves to it. The moral dilemma of boxing was always something that Lavery
knew she would struggle with, as even those who love the sport can’t defend the
bloody nature of going professional. Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett, the
directors, explained that they found the “Issue of how damage is both present
and buried in a sport fascinating.”
Beautiful Burnout is set in Scotland, Glasgow and this is
shown in the play through Lavery’s use of language. She writes words as they
are said in the Scottish accent, for example: “doon” instead of “down.” And her
use of the local dialect helps relate the context back to its origin.
