2015CORNERM_ACFBoxing is a tough profession. Say you do well as an amature, you get spotted, signed. Things are going well, right? However, in all likelihood  your career is going to be one as a ‘journeyman’ boxer, who does fights after fight with the full expectation of losing. A rung on the ladder for those headed to the top.

Manager Mickey and his team (Drew and Joey) are down on their luck, they need a decent journeyman to make some money from but all their contacts are at the end of their careers. Things change when they scout out an amature with promise, Sid Sparks. They’re just three old hands trying to get their hands on some cash, basically. Sid however, proves to have much more potential then they bargained for, and his talent takes all of them to heady heights.

Cornerman lifts the lid on the world of professional boxing, showing it to be so much more then I, at any rate, fully appreciated. For Micky, this is no solo sport but a team game, this is his shot at a title as much as Sid’s. The play depicts a struggle between compassion and selfish success, as eventually the team have to choose between Sid’s best interests and staying at the top.

It’s a good story about ambition and success, and all four of the cast give a strong, charismatic performance. Director Joe Lichtenstein has a real eye for creating scenes with movement and little set. During one enjoyable scene the team jig around a swanky party, schmoozing, dancing and drinking. Above all Cornermen is an interesting look into the world of boxing as well as the psychological pressures that come with unexpected success at a young age.

Cornermen is playing at Pleasance Courtyard (Venue 33) from 15-17, 19-31 August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe. For more information, visit the festival website.