Lay Me Down Softly, Tricycle Theatre | reviews, news & interviews
Lay Me Down Softly, Tricycle Theatre
Lay Me Down Softly, Tricycle Theatre
Billy Roche’s boxing play offers a couple of good rounds rather than a full match
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/mast_image_landscape/public/mastimages/852c2fa5e5468761c3ae8b796ca9be85.jpg?itok=NOz01WCB)
Until quite recently, plays about sport were as rare as British Wimbledon winners. Then, over the past couple of years, came a whole slew of plays about various sports, led by punchy stories about boxing, from Roy Williams’s Sucker Punch to Bryony Lavery’s Beautiful Burnout. Now this growing list of recent fixtures is joined by Wexford-playwright Billy Roche’s bitter-sweet and humorous play, which originally premiered in Dublin in 2008 and opened last night in north London with several Roche veterans in its new cast.
Until quite recently, plays about sport were as rare as British Wimbledon winners. Then, over the past couple of years, came a whole slew of plays about various sports, led by punchy stories about boxing, from Roy Williams’s Sucker Punch to Bryony Lavery’s Beautiful Burnout. Now this growing list of recent fixtures is joined by Wexford-playwright Billy Roche’s bitter-sweet and humorous play, which originally premiered in Dublin in 2008 and opened last night in north London with several Roche veterans in its new cast.
Buy
Explore topics
Share this article
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Theatre
![Tight-knit ensemble: Anjli Mohindra, Deborah Findlay, Gina McKee, Romola Garai, Harmony Rose-Bremner in 'The Years'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Years%201.jpg?itok=Tc5XqxSD)
![Shout it out: Brie Larson as Elektra](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/elektra1.jpg?itok=9Wfmo98V)
![To life: Tim McMullan and Alison Halstead in rehearsal](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/morelife1.jpg?itok=Kudmr4l5)
![Mismatch: Rami Malek as Oedipus and Indira Varma as Jocasta](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Rami%20Malek%20%28Oedipus%29%20and%20Indira%20Varma%20%28Jocasta%29%20in%20Oedipus%20at%20The%20Old%20Vic%20%282025%29.%20Photo%20by%20Manuel%20Harlan_0.jpg?itok=51b1i5d7)
![Miriam Grace Edwards in 'Mrs President' - What? He's won again?](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Miriam%20Grace%20Edwards%20in%20Mrs%20President%20%28credit%20Pamela%20Raith%29.jpg?itok=GeE5e6CJ)
![Desperate times: Ivan Oyik and Evlyne Oyedokun in ‘… Blackbird Hour’](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/blackbird-hour.jpg?itok=glJ-MoH_)
![A cut above: Reece Shearsmith in Inside No 9: Stage Fright](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/4.%20Reece%20Shearsmith.%20Credit%20Marc%20Brenner.jpg?itok=Fp2z1n14)
![Pierro Niel-Mee and Gabrielle Brooks in Cymbeline - I dunno, I think that's a bit dodgy mate](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Pierro%20Niel-Mee%20as%20Iachimo%20and%20Gabrielle%20Brooks%20as%20Innogen%20in%20Cymbeline%20at%20Shakespeare%27s%20Globe%20%28c.%20Marc%20Brenner%29%20%282%29.jpg?itok=8bZrLUgh)
![Rosie Sheehy and Jamie Ballard in An Interrogation - Big Sister is watching you](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Rosie%20Sheehy%20and%20Jamie%20Ballard%20in%20An%20Interrogation%206_EllieKeelProductionsHampsteadTheatre_photo%20by%20Marc%20Brenner.jpg?itok=iEDy5YGw)
![The company of The Lonely Londoners - lives forged in the fire of The Kiln](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Company%20of%20The%20Lonely%20Londoners%20-%20credit%20Steve%20Gregson%20%283%29.jpg?itok=GZHzcu3p)
Add comment