Review: Bitch Boxer at Fringe Hub
Review by Greg Gorton
Bitch Boxer is a show of great design and incredible performance, of a somewhat-enjoyable story. People are definitely going to love Shardae Santos as Chloe, a girl from North-east London literally fighting her way to the Olympics.
It’s the design of the show that first comes to mind when I think of the enjoyable night I had. A runway stage is incredibly difficult to light and to perform on, but choosing this challenge paid off. From the change rooms on one side, Chloe paces back and forth, closer and further from her dream. There’s a sense of intimacy in being so close to Chloe, but there is also a sense of discomfort. Our hero is being pressured by an audience expecting honesty and vulnerability, and she would rather not know they were even there.
The creation of a young woman in a world of boxing is highly successful. Between the authentic costumes, the sparring choreographed by Alexander Karytinos, and the sound design and composition by Amelia Rooney, the audience very much lives in Chloe’s world. Importantly, when that world changes in the telling of the story, the design mutates with it seamlessly.
The direction of this production has a firm grip on the consequences and opportunities offered by such design. The vast majority of the show has Santos in a state of movement. Whether it is sparring, training, or simply pacing as she tells her story, there’s a sense of a tiger in a cage wanting to be free to fight. The moments she sits on the bench on the far side are moments of rumination and reflection, not so much breathing room as a place to hesitate.
Of course, the true strength of this production lies within the performance of Shardae Santos. The character of Chloe relies on a balancing act between a strength (both physical and mental) and an earnest vulnerability, while avoiding the pitfalls of infantilisation and melodrama. Santos also approaches the script with creativity, making choices about how lines are presented that are both original and a little off-putting. The script itself is not the strongest, so acclaim goes to Santos’ unique portrayal of what could be a character less interesting. This is no better seen in Chloe’s lies (often to herself) and her unspoken admission of the tension between her femininity and what is considered a highly masculine sport.
What failures may be seen in this show fall firmly upon the shoulders of the playwright. This established script by acclaimed playwright Charlie Josephine never felt entirely convincing to me. While Josephine was relatively successful in creating a voice for Chloe, the need to use other characters in the one-hander, and even the original belief that a compelling story must have a personal tragedy, sat with me as concepts that weaken a story filled with engaging anecdotes and charismatic character. The ending may also feel to some as a little too much Hollywood for an otherwise realistic script.
Bitch Boxer may very well end up one of the audience favourites of this year’s Fringe, largely due to the incredible performance by Shardae Santos. As a character study of a young woman facing too many challenges at once, it has moments well worth remembering.
