Work in progress: Battling Barbara

Writer, actress and director Luna Schepens presents her new performance, inspired by Barbara Buttrick, the legendary boxer who put women’s boxing on the map in the 1950s.

The piece follows a boxer during her final, decisive fight. Twelve rounds. One chance to go down in history as the greatest of all time, or to fade into obscurity. In the ring with Barbara are her coach, who guides her to victory, and a referee, who sets the rules of the game. The opponent? An invisible, mythical force, stronger than anything she has ever known. Lethal as fuck. In Battling Barbara, the boxing ring becomes a ‘language machine’. What does a right hook sound like? How can words cause bruises? How do you knock someone out without ever touching them? Can language itself become the fight? Outside the ring, another battle is taking place: the endless desire to become more than ourselves. To cross boundaries, break expectations and transform into something mythical.
But if becoming extraordinary is the goal, what is left when you fail?

During this work in progress, performers Luna Schepens, Britt Das and Liesa Van der Aa present their initial research and perform a first reading of the script. Afterwards, the team would love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to share what resonates with you, what intrigues you and what the text evokes in you.