From the minute you walked into the dark and hazy theatre, you knew you were about to be transported back in time and to something of an underworld.

The production, which was performed by Oakham’s Drama Scholars, follows the lives of four very different young women as they are drawn into the underground world of female boxing. Controlled by men and constrained by corsets, the women are not only fighting each other, but they’re also fighting inequality.

Under the superb direction of Gilly Norell, Director of Drama, the cast of pupils demonstrated remarkable talent as they took Joy Wilkinson’s challenging storyline and portrayed their characters with great conviction.

It took centre stage in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre from 6 to 9 March, with each showing receiving a standing ovation.

The set design used in the production was outstanding, with a clever revolving stage helping to portray the intense fight scenes from all angles.

Form 6 pupil Mesi, who took on the role of Professor Charlie Sharp, said: “I personally liked how much physical theatre the play involved. There’s boxing, sword fighting, and dancing and these gave the piece so much energy and made the end result extremely satisfying.”

The Sweet Science of Bruising held extra sentiment for the Form 7 Drama Scholars as this marked their last School production.

Form 7 pupil Sarah, who played Violet Hunter, added: “I enjoyed performing in this production because of the opportunity it gave us as actors to explore the impossible, with everything from boxing to fencing. I also felt very privileged to be able to explore the limits on women’s rights and how they fight against them, both literally and metaphorically.”

Keep up to date with the next productions and find out more about Drama and Theatre at Oakham School.