Identity, hope, and violence are at the centre of Marco Ramirez's critically acclaimed and explosive play about the Jim Crow era boxing circuit.

"Bam! The Royale is a real knockout, a relentlessly gripping boxing drama" - Time Out London

Jay ‘The Sport’ Jackson dreams of being the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. But it’s 1905 and, in the racially segregated world of boxing, his chances are as good as knocked out.

In daring to realise his dream, is Jay responsible for putting African American lives in the danger zone? Told in six rounds and set in a boxing ring, The Royale is inspired by the often overlooked story of Jack Johnson, a boxer who – at the height of the Jim Crow era – became the most famous and the most notorious black man on Earth.

Marco Ramirez's explosive play is part of Methuen Drama's Modern Classics series, featuring a new introduction from Rachel Chavkin.

"The Royale reanimates this breakthrough saga for a new generation!" - Los Angeles Times

"Bam! The Royale is a real knockout, a relentlessly gripping boxing drama that... is as thrilling as anything you'll see in London at the moment, stage or ring." - Time Out London

"This story may be a century old...but Ramirez's 2013 text seems increasingly pertinent in racially fraught America, where resentment spills into violence and even victory may seem another kind of defeat." - Sunday Times