Lay Me Down Softly at Theatre Banshee

Boxing and the circus come together at last in the Irish drama Lay Me Down Softly. Set in Ireland's countryside during the 1960s, this bittersweet, hardscrabble tale follows Delaney's Traveling Roadshow as it tours through small towns carrying bumper cars, bearded ladies, rifle ranges and the main attraction: a boxing ring and an invitation to all comers to put up their dukes for a chance at winning a prize. Punching matches ensue, an iron-fisted patriarch battles with his family and fighters to keep everyone in line, and the unexpected arrival of an estranged daughter throws everyone against the ropes in this riveting work from acclaimed playwright Billy Roche.