Aron Julius delivers a dazzling performance as John Conteh, the light-heavyweight champion from Kirkby, in a new bio-drama at Liverpool's Royal Court theatre. The play, written by Julius himself, charts Conteh's rise to become WBC champion in 1974 and his subsequent fall from grace.
A star in and out of the ring
Don King, played by Zach Levene with an extravagant bouffant, praises his new signing: 'He walks into a room and the air changes.' Julius captures this charisma, portraying Conteh as muscular, light-footed, and graceful, with a needle-sharp Liverpool wit. The audience is drawn to his cheeky charm, making it easy to root for him.
Punch-by-punch drama
The best scenes feature Conteh alone on stage, recounting his fights in crisp poetry. From his outsider victory over Chris Finnegan at Wembley to the narrow defeat against Matthew Saad Muhammad in Atlantic City in 1980, Julius performs with vivid, bruising detail under fight director Rebecca Wilson.
Private tensions
The drama is constrained by the facts of Conteh's rise and fall, but excels in exploring his private life. His belief that 'fights are won and lost on the training ground' is tested by his brother Tony (Levene again), who tempts him into boozy benders, and Don King, who seduces him with celebrity. Manager George Francis (Mark Moraghan) and his wife Joan (Helen Carter) try to keep him on track, while Conteh's wife Veronica (Amber Blease) makes feminist protests about being treated as an afterthought.
Stylish production
Mark Womack's pacing and Zoe Murdoch's set, where boxing ropes double as barriers and fences, enhance the story. Sound designer Kate Harvey adds a cool 70s funk soundtrack. The play fizzles into therapy-speak as Conteh confronts his alcoholism, but with the dapper Conteh himself joining the curtain call on opening night, it goes the distance.
At Royal Court theatre, Liverpool, until 9 May.
