Shadow Boxing by James Gaddas
Freedom could be one fight 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, a young boxer with everything to prove and everything to hide. When he’s outed, his world unravels, resulting in a brutal fight not just in the ring, but within himself.
Written by James Gaddas and directed by Teresa Izzard, Shadow Boxing is a gripping solo work that explores masculinity, sexuality, violence and vulnerability.
Set in a stripped-back boxing gym, the story unfolds through 15 characters brought vividly to life by Samuel Addison, in a 55-minute tour de force. With raw physicality and emotional intensity, Shadow Boxing lays bare the cost of survival in a world where vulnerability is a threat and self-acceptance is the ultimate fight.
Following acclaimed performances in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, this powerful return season invites audiences to reckon with the quiet violence of rejection and the resilience it takes to be truly seen.
Raw, poetic, and emotionally relentless, Shadow Boxing is a knockout theatrical experience that will leave you breathless.
Season 2025: This year the award winning Shadow Boxing will be showcased on the East Coast:
Flight Path Theatre, Sydney: 7-11 OCT
Featuring Samuel Addison as Flynn
Producer / Director / Movement Coach: Teresa Izzard
Associate Producer / Designer / Photography and Graphic Design: Samuel Addison
Vocal Performance Coach: Donald Woodburn
Composition / Sound Design: Bec Price
Lighting Design / Operator: Christian Lovelady
Publicist & Social Media Management: Monstera Creative
Production Photography and Videography (Melbourne Season): Hannah Jennings
Production Photography (Perth Season): James Dove
Thanks to Jack Becker MMA, James Blair, the team at Endorphin Boxing and Jeremy Udovich from St Kilda Boxing Gym.
LGBTQIA+ Advisory Panel: Donald Woodburn, Ross Mackenzie, Sam Gibbings (TransFolk WA), Mark Reid (Perth Queer Film Festival), Greig Sheridan and Glenn Petersham.
This production is supported through the Australian Cultural Fund.
This production is performed by arrangement with Richard Hambleton Management.
Thanks also to Lumos Creatives and Orbit Fitness for their support.
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
— Squarespace