Theatre
Joy’s latest play The Sweet Science of Bruising, about Victorian lady boxers, transferred to Wilton’s Music Hall after a sold out run at Southwark Playhouse, produced by Troupe.
Press for The Sweet Science of Bruising:
”One of the best new plays I have seen in years… She writes beautifully articulate dialogue and strong characters… Wonderful.’ ★★★★★ Daily Express
“This full-blooded play exploring the little-known world of Victorian women’s boxing is a knockout… a contender with guts and brains. Fascinating” ★★★★ The Times
“Thoroughly heartfelt, highly original and completely timely”★★★★ Artsdesk
“A knockout… a startling, visceral account of early feminist struggles”★★★★ Reviewshub
“The Sweet Science of Bruising is Joy Wilkinson’s ode to women everywhere” ★★★★ Londontheatre1
“A winning combination of heavyweight storytelling and punchy performances” ★★★★ Stagereview
“Ultimately this is a play about the empowerment of women and many of the struggles they faced are issues that women are battling to this day.”★★★★ Londonboxoffice
“Joy Wilkinson weaves a tremendous tale of passion, politics and pugilism.” ★★★★★ Fairypowered
“A riotous shock to the system… The cast all round is fantastic… bitingly contemporary… entertaining, fast-paced, accessible, and filled with compelling characters and smart comedy” Theplaysthething
“Each character is played beautifully by the actors, every life well-rounded and full of depth, completely drawing the audience into these interwoven stories.” Ayoungertheatre
“The beautifully choreographed story of how easily women’s power can be taken away.” The Guardian ‘Readers’ favourite theatre of 2018′
In 2017, Now is the Time, Joy’s play from the Tricycle’s Afghanistan: The Great Game season was revived by Teatro Elfo Puccini in Milan and toured alongside plays by Lee Blessing, David Greig, Ron Hutchinson and Stephen Jeffreys. More details on the production here.
Britain’s Best Recruiting Sergeant, a play with music about the life of male impersonator Vesta Tilley, was produced at the Unicorn Theatre in 2015. More details here.
Press for Britain’s Best Recruiting Sergeant:
“This rousing music hall-style kids’ play about a First World War entertainer raises some important questions… quietly excoriating and ethically-charged” ★★★★ Time Out
“It’s an adults’ story, told for children: a refreshing reversal worthy of the ‘dark fairytales’ which sell children’s stories to adults.” ★★★★ Exeunt Magazine
“Excitement and exhilaration from start to finish” ★★★★ Everything Theatre
“Ingenious and stylish… written with flair” Observer
“A serious play… embedded in rich entertainment that is great fun” British Theatre Guide
Joy is a winner of Soho Theatre’s Verity Bargate Award, the International Student Playscript Competition and has been shortlisted for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and Theatre Centre’s Brian Way Award. She has twice been a writer on attachment at the National Theatre Studio.
Plays include: Now is the Time, part of the Olivier Award-nominated ‘Afghanistan’ season (Tricycle Theatre, US Tour), Acting Leader (‘Women, Power and Politics’ season, Tricycle), Fair (Finborough Theatre, West End, UK tour), Felt Effects (Theatre 503) and Compression (Brockley Jack).
Her work has also been performed at Soho Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre, Arcola Theatre, Birmingham Rep, Manchester Royal Exchange, Liverpool Everyman, the Pleasance Courtyard at Edinburgh Festival, New York’s Jewel Box Theater, and as part of Old Vic New Voices.
The Tricycle plays are published by Oberon. The Sweet Science of Bruising, Fair and Felt Effects are all published by Nick Hern.