Never ones to turn down the opportunity of taking some pictures of some muscled young men, we were thrilled when we heard about the revamp of Charles Strouse's 1960's boxing musical extravaganza Golden Boy, which opens exclusively at the Greenwich theatre later this month.

Strouse, who penned the classic musical Annie, wrote this New York based show to celebrate the sounds and rhythms of black music. More than that though, it told the story of a young man fighting for freedom and love, battling to get out of Harlem and to make something of his life despite the prevailing atmosphere of racism and prejudice. The original cast, headed by King of Swing Sammy Davis Jnr, opened in 1968 to mixed reviews in the London Palladium, but was deemed too controversial to survive its run.

Now, back under new direction from Rick Jacobs, and also starring West End diva Sally Ann Triplet! fresh from the National's Anything Goes, its amazing score and choreography alone promise to wow new audiences of a different generation.

"The cast are just buzzing at the moment," says 29 year old Jason Pennycooke who plays the lead Joe Wellington and is pictured above in the middle. "Everyone is just so thrilled to be involved in such a unique piece of theatre, that the performances on stage are truly electric".

Jason is no stranger to these kinds of physically demanding all-singing, all-dancing roles. His previous stage credits include Starlight Express, 5 Guys Named Mo and Sou/ Train, so it was no surprise to learn that this wonderboy also taught Mel B to how to dance and even appeared in SpiceWorld: the Movie which he proudly announces.

"I've done a fair bit of martial arts before, but was told I'd have to take boxing lessons for this" he says getting serious. "I'm a very physical person but I learnt only after my first lesson that boxers have to be a lot more grounded, and their energy has to be far more concentrated. In order to pack that winning punch, all your power has to flow through the most minimal body space. That's why the impact is so important. It's all to do with mind control".

That's not all that's demanding about this production. Some changes have been made from the original piece most notably that Charles Strouse has written two brand new songs specifically for this production. "Everyone is so excited about being part of this", Jason adds, "the show has kind of become a tribute to both its original cause, and to Sammy Davies Jnr himself. For the cast, and me especially, I feel privileged to be taking part. After all, he was responsible for breaking down so many barriers through his music, so I hope I have his blessing." Jason feels that there aren't enough lead roles in the West End for black actors , and hopes that this show will help pave the way. "I just can't wait to get out there and show them what we've got here." And neither can we.

Article by Simon Marks