Review: BITCH BOXER, Watford Palace Theatre

When you look back between 2012 and now, you’d expect to see a lot of change. But when you’re a woman, your brain starts to understand the lack of it. Charlie Josephine’s debut play is jumping back into the ring this week at the Watford Palace Theatre and is not going down without a fight.

A one-person, one-hour, one-hundred-percent captivating play that will have you hanging onto every single word that actress Jodie Campbell has to say.

Originally debuting in 2013, Josephine’s hit play Bitch Boxer tells of a 21-year-old female boxer named Chloe Jackson as she’s in training for a competition that would allow her to compete in the 2012 London Olympics - the first ever Games in which women can box. 

Chloe’s entire world is her dad. He was the one who taught her how to fight, how to stand up for herself, how to stay alert. But when he passes away suddenly, only a couple of weeks before the biggest competition of her entire life, Chloe talks herself through the moments that got her to where she is, and reminds herself why she’s doing it.

From telling stories of nights out where she met her girlfriend, Jamie, to explaining the symbolism of a simple pair of trainers, Chloe Jackson’s entire construction of her life has been tunnel-visioned on this precise moment: the fight that decides if she will achieve the dream her father trained her for. Told through monologues, Bitch Boxer helps audiences to find themselves within Chloe’s story, and work out what truly drives them to their full potential. 

Campbell’s performance will have you feeling like you’re having a chat with your closest friend - a post-night-out debrief that has you hooked from the very start. From her boxing form, to her natural humour, Campbell showcased genuine truth and natural talent in this role. Her ability to dive between comedy and drama within moments of each other created a pace audience members could latch onto and follow every word. A stellar portrayal. 

Director Prime Isaac is definitely one to watch. From transitions, to setting, to hype-music, Isaac covered everything perfectly and pulled the audience into Chloe’s world without having to leave their seats. A personal favourite touch is the use of the punching-bag as a sand timer to show the time jump between the previous scene and the competition. Nothing felt forced or ‘for show’. Isaac clearly knows how to direct their actors in a way that brings out the best in them - a real conversation.

Lighting design by Jessie Addinall had me in awe for the perfect use of transitions, atmosphere, and absorption into the world of Chloe Jackson. My jaw was on the floor every time the lights changed. 

Hazel Low’s design of the set created a stunning landscape that had its own aesthetic that flawlessly tied into Addinall’s lighting. I could not take my eyes off of the set from start to finish.

Movement direction by Mateus Daniel had audiences fully convinced that Campbell has actually been a boxer for the last 10 years. There was a clear trust there, and the hard work between movement director and actor is a credit to them both.

Mwen provided the perfect hype playlist and soundscapes that got you so pumped you wanted to get into the ring yourself… Especially the club scene - I wanted to get in there with Chloe and spend the next hour dancing away like old friends.

All in all, this play is the definition of female-bodied-empowerment. There’s a bit of Chloe, who she is and what she stands for, in all of us. The message from this play is clear: you are no less than anyone else and the only person stopping you from achieving what you deserve is yourself. 

Bitch Boxer at the Watford Palace Theatre until March 9 

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