Lose To Win
Have you ever seen somebody embody joy? Someone so comfortable and proud of where they have come from, of where they are now, that they vibrate with unwavering enthusiasm? That’s what it’s like to watch Mandela Mathia perform. Lose to Win is an autobiographical work that tells the story of Mathia’s journey to Australia, or what he calls “Paradise”. From his birth in South Sudan, to the bustling streets of Egypt, to the rickety boat that brought him to Australia as a refugee, Mathia finds poetry in his smallest wins. This deeply personal performance lands at Belvoir St Theatre in 2024 after premiering at the Old Fitz Theatre in 2022 under Red Line Productions. Sharing the same warm and minimalistic staging as Belvoir's concurrent production of Nayika: A Dancing Girl, Director Jessica Arthur has kept the communal campfire feeling from the original staging, focusing the activity in a semi-circle around a simple black dance mat. Props, including traditional jewellery, clothing and other adornments sit within reach behind Mathia. Beside them, sits musician Yacou Mbaye and his assortment of wooden instruments including several different kinds of drums. We need more theatre makers like these, so that we might learn and share in the joy of what it means to lose to win. These elements create an inviting and immersive experience, but it's Mathia’s command of the monologue that calls us to attention. Interspersed with the more harrowing parts of his journey are funny quips, like which