Bitch Boxer @ Underbelly
A highly personal theatre performance following a determined athlete as she fights her way into the boxing ring
Written and performed by Charlotte Josephine, Bitch Boxer follows a determined young athlete on her professional and personal journey of making it 'just down the road' to be part of Team GB.
The play asks questions about the roles of women as Chloe seeks to define herself as a serious athlete while also dealing with the sudden death of her boxing coach father.
The narrative is touching, though never sentimental. Josephine brings a tough sensitivity and physical presence to the role portraying an interesting kind of independent woman in this highly personal piece of theatre which refuses to wallow in self-doubt. Competitive, focused but also unsure and shy, Josephine owns the stage as she inhabits Chloe, though occasionally dipping into other characters with a quiet humour and masculine edge.
Relationships, particularly those with men, are a central theme to the play. Chloe speaks of her estranged mother, father, other boxing locals and her new boyfriend. Each character is painted through expressive anecdotes which give the play pace and colour while telling us more about Chloe herself.
Bitch Boxer is a fiercely honest and unassuming piece of theatre which explores the protagonist’s relationships, largely with men, though more significantly the one she shares with herself.