Description
A talented young boxer, Isa, is preparing for the biggest fight of his career. On the line is the national title and the promise of fame and riches beyond his wildest dreams. What unfolds is a modern-day fable of a Congolese boy orphaned by war and forced to become a child soldier by the very people who killed his family. His powerful left hook offers a new life in Australia, but his greatest obstacle is not his opponent – it’s his past.
Future D. Fidel writes with the undeniable force of authenticity. Fleeing the Congo as a child, he lived in a Tanzanian refugee camp for eight years before being granted refugee status in Australia. Prize Fighter is inspired by his own story and those of people he has known.
Production History
Prize Fighter was first produced by La Boite and Brisbane Festival as part of Brisbane Festival 2015, premiering at the Roundhouse theatre on the 9th of September 2015.
ISBN: 978 1 925338 27 0
Education Notes
The educational support materials for this text include:
Synopsis of the play: What is Prize Fighter?
Timeline and Creative Process: With Future D.Fidel, Playwright.
Placing A New Work Centre Stage: The journey from working script to professional premiere.
Portrait of a man: Q&A with Pacharo Mzembe, Lead actor.
Curriculum Connections: Theatrical styles, forms, conventions, associated scenes, learning experiences and potential assessment.
Where Else, What Else: A list of other sources of information to extend learning and discovery.
Reviews
"Prize Fighter is, in every respect, theatre that matters."
— ABC
"Future D. Fidel’s magnificent fictionalised autobiography, Prize Fighter, is set in a boxing ring, where Congolese-Australian refugee Isa (Pacharo Mzembe, sublime) fights light-heavyweight bouts that are about so much more than sport."
— The Australian
"Future D Fidel, has drawn on his own harrowing story, lending the play a heartfelt authenticity."
— The Guardian
"Prize Fighter is the tale of one man's ability to rise above and beyond his past to become a true champion... An emotionally honest story that will stay with you long after the gloves are off"
— Scenestr
