Boxer’s fight for justice hits the stage
New theatre play The Fight tells the story of talented Valleys boxer Cuthbert Taylor, who was denied the chance to compete for the British title due to the colour of his skin. Ian Lewis reports
THE true story of a Welsh Olympic boxer from the Valleys who was not allowed to fight for the British title almost 100 years ago is being brought to the stage.
The Fight is the true tale of Cuthbert Taylor, a champion boxer of mixed heritage born in Merthyr Tydfil in 1909, who was barred from fighting for the British title in the early 1930s due to the colour of his skin by the British Boxing Board.
Although he became the Welsh bantamweight champion and the first black boxer to compete as a flyweight for Great Britain at the 1928 Olympics, his full potential was never recognised or fulfilled because of the discriminatory colour bar.
Directing the play for Neath-based performing arts company Theatr na nOg is fight choreographer Kev McCurdy, who has worked on Hollywood blockbusters, TV and West End hits.
For almost 30 years he has worked as a fight director, training actors in stage combat and choreographing action scenes for films like Disney’s John Carter, TV series such as Doctor Who, Torchwood and Hinterland, and numerous stage productions, most recently the theatrical version of the Netflix hit series Stranger Things.
The Fight is his debut as director with a professional company, rather than fight director.
The production will play to over 5,000 schoolchildren at the Dylan Thomas Theatre in Swansea and Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon, between September and November.
McCurdy was amazed and saddened by Taylor’s story and how few people had heard of Taylor’s plight. He said: “We have to get this out there, to let people know his story.
“A huge part of black British history has been swept under the carpet for too long, and now is the time for a new generation to learn about the mistakes of the past and to hopefully right those wrongs.” There are some parallels between McCurdy and Taylor’s careers, with McCurdy becoming the first black person in the UK to teach stage combat in 1992 at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and then the first registered fight director of colour.
Taylor’s family have worked closely with Theatr na nOg for several years on the production of The Fight, bringing with them an invaluable insight into their grandfather’s life and legacy.
Actor Simeon Desvignes, who has a number of theatre roles under his belt already, will take on the lead role of Taylor.
Taylor’s grandson Alun Taylor explained: “Our grandfather was denied his basic human rights, because of the colour of his skin.
“Nearly a century later, Theatr na nOg is giving him a voice, and in doing so they are giving our family a voice as well.
“We are very grateful that Cuthbert Taylor’s story is finally being told, allowing hundreds of schoolchildren to witness our grandfather’s amazing character and talent as a boxer, juxtaposed with the harsh injustices in our world.”
The family began approaching the
British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) for an apology in 2020, but four years later were “still no closer to getting one”, they said. A memorial was unveiled in October 2021 at the Court House in Merthyr, where Cuthbert used to train, to mark Black History Month.
The plaque reads the boxer was “denied the chance to succeed because of the colour of his skin”. Taylor’s family are now hoping that The Fight might help their plight in seeking an apology from BBBC. The Fight is suitable for children aged nine and upward, with performances for schools in Swansea already fully booked with a waiting list.
■ There is still availability for school performances at Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon, where there is also a public performance on September 26, with limited availability.
Our grandfather was denied his basic human rights because of the colour of his skin
Cuthbert Taylor’s grandson Alun Taylor