Shadow Boxing by James Gaddas

FREEDOM COULD BE ONE FIGHT AWAY…

“Raw, intense and instinctive. Samuel Addison is an impressive and captivating Flynn.”

– Theatre Matters

“A raw, vivid and exciting piece of theatre… Addison deserves the utmost admiration.”

– ArtsHub

“Addison is a phenomenal performer… a compelling performance by an actor at the top of his game.”

– Fourth Wall Media 

Following acclaimed seasons in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, Shadow Boxing, the award-winning solo work by James Gaddas, returns to Sydney for a strictly limited season at Flight Path Theatre, Marrickville, from 7 - 11 October 2025. 

Directed by Teresa Izzard and performed with powerful precision by Samuel Addison, Shadow Boxing  is a gripping exploration of masculinity, sexuality, and survival.  

Set in the bare-bones world of boxing, the story follows Flynn, a young fighter grappling with his father’s legacy and his own identity, after being cruelly outed. What unfolds is a powerful reckoning with shame, violence, and the courage it takes to be truly seen. 

Told through 15 characters brought vividly to life by one performer in a masterful 55-minute tour de force, Shadow Boxing is as emotionally devastating as it is physically demanding. 

“We can’t be seen to cry, to feel, to love. Be loved.” 

Premiering in Sydney in 1994 and now revived with searing relevance, Shadow Boxing continues to confront outdated notions of masculinity. At its heart, this is a work that interrogates a world where vulnerability is a threat, and self-acceptance is the ultimate fight. 

Teresa Izzard, Director, says: 

“Shadow Boxing  is about more than boxing. It’s about what happens when society boxes people in. It’s about strength, vulnerability, and the quiet violence of rejection. This show will floor you.” 

Winner of a Theatre & Performance Award, Fringe World 2024, Shadow Boxing continues to captivate audiences and now returns to the city where its story first began. Don’t miss this knockout return season at Flight Path Theatre this October. 

Warnings: (15+) Strong language, sexual references, adult themes, simulated depictions of violence and sexual acts 

ABOUT FEET FIRST COLLECTIVE 

Feet First Collective is an award-winning and critically acclaimed Australian theatre company dedicated to producing uncompromising, high-quality independent theatre. Known for its larger scale works Frankenstein, S-27 and MEDUSA. Feet First Collective is committed to telling beautiful and brutal stories and engaging audiences with provocative form and content. 

The Shadow Boxing team includes Feet First Collective creatives; Teresa Izzard, Samuel Addison, Donald Woodburn; and welcomes back Bec Price as sound designer/composer and lighting designer Christian Lovelady from MEDUSA.  

Images by Hannah Jennings