Shadow Boxing by James Gaddas
Freedom could be one punch away…
★★★★ “… a raw, vivid and exciting piece of theatre. (Arts Hub)
“We can’t be seen to cry, to feel, to love. Be loved.”
Meet Flynn: He’s strong, he’s a boxer, and… gay? As if living in the shadow of his father’s failed boxing career wasn’t tough enough, he’s then cruelly outed. This edgy, impactful work will thrill you with its tour de force physicality. It challenges us to confront what drives men to violence. Enter the ring and join Flynn for his ultimate battle. Self-acceptance hits hard. Shadow Boxing dives deep into Flynn’s experience and the raw, gritty world of masculinity. Performer Samuel Addison takes us on a visceral and emotional roller coaster ride that will leave you breathless.
Season 2025: This year the award winning Shadow Boxing will be showcased on the East Coast:
Theatre Works, Melbourne: 14 - 24 MAY
Flight Path Theatre, Sydney: 8-11 OCT
Australian Cultural Fund BOOST Campaign: Feet First Collective 2025
Feet First Collective needs support to partially fund our 2025 Season. In our tenth year of producing independent theatre, our award-winning show Shadow Boxing has been programmed at Theatre Works, Melbourne and Flight Path Theatre, Sydney. Feet First Collective has received DLGSC funding for the Melbourne season and has been selected as part of the ACF BOOST 2025 campaign. ACF BOOST is a matched funding initiative which means that your donation will be matched dollar for dollar by Creative Australia up to $5K. The funds will be used for artists fees and production costs for the Sydney season. Please check out our campaign - donations will be gratefully received and acknowledged.
Our Fundraising Goal is: $5000
Featuring Samuel Addison as Flynn
Production Team:
Producer / Director / Movement Director: Teresa Izzard
Associate Producer / Designer / Photography and Graphic Design: Samuel Addison
Dramaturg / Vocal Performance Coach / LGBTIQA+ Advisor: Donald Woodburn
Composition / Sound Design: Bec Price
Lighting Design: Christian Lovelady
Publicist: Tracy Routledge
Social Media Manager: Amber Kitney
Production Photography: James Dove
Thanks to Jack Becker MMA, James Blair and the team at Endorphin Boxing.
Critics in Perth and Sydney had this to say about Shadow Boxing:
★★★★1/2 "Addison is a phenomenal performer and he acts what is essentially a 50 minute monologue with emotion and heart. It’s a compelling performance by an actor at the top of his game."
(Laura Money on ‘Shadow Boxing’ for Fourth Wall Media)
“Any solo, one-man show is an impressive feat. Add in boxing, skipping, push-ups, and 50 minutes of rigorous storytelling, and that’s a superhuman ability. I don’t think you’ll find another piece of theatre this polished yet gritty in this year’s Fringe program."
(Holly Ferguson on ‘Shadow Boxing’ for Magazine 6000)
★★★★ “Shadow Boxing is gripping from beginning to end. I was struck by the sheer physicality of Addison’s performance – he covers every inch of the stage as he nimbly delivers his lines while jabbing at opponents, both real and imagined.”
(Jeffrey Disney for Out in Perth)
★★★★ “Addison deserves the utmost admiration for the sheer scale of his commitment; it was one of those occasions where an actor threw everything at a role.”
(Helen Hopcraft on Shadow Boxing for Arts Hub)
“Another contender for Sydney Fringe best actor awards … the emotional blows and lows hurt even more than the physical ones. Not to be missed.”
(Chuck Moore reviews about on Shadow Boxing)
“Samuel Addison as Flynn is superb … he delivers a performance that is high energy and tremendously physical while simultaneously utterly at one with Gaddas’ brilliant words.”
(Paul Gilchrest on Shadow Boxing for Theatre Red)
“Simple staging, a terrific script and a sensational performance – if boxing were this good I’d be at every bout.”
(Paul Gilchrest on Shadow Boxing for Theatre Red)
Image Credit: James Dove
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