THEATRE
At Napier Street Theatre till 12 June, 1994
Reviewer: Kate Herbert around 2 June 1994
This review was published in The Melbourne Times after 2 June 1994
Witnessing male violence on stage can feel like a personal assault. It makes women particularly, feel unsafe. The extraordinary thing about Shadowboxing, James Gaddas' witty and well-observed play about a young pugilist, is that the boxer is almost palpably the victim of his own violence.
The play is very intimate. Robert Morgan is on stage alone as "Erroll" Flynn, the boxer. We are his confidantes and voyeurs who watch his personal struggle to overcome his father's failure as a fighter, to find dignity and a clear identity in both the boxing arena and the world at large. Discovering you're gay in the macho world of fighters is dangerous.
The production is wildly, frenetically physical. Morgan, a former boxer himself, is on his feet "dancing", skipping, and punching words at us from go to whoa. Bruce Myles direction is inspiring and dynamic, using the rhythm of the fight and lighting by Glenn Hughes is simple and dramatic.
This poor bastard is seeking some tenderness from the world, knowing there is a softness somewhere beneath his violent exterior - but the world will not allow him to soften.
Shadowboxing is emotionally and physically exhausting, but it is under an hour. The journey is like a rocket launch; starts slow and then blows the top off your head. Go see!
By Kate Herbert
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