FringeReview Scotland 2026
The Standing Eight
Theatre Alliance
Genre: Biography, New Writing, Verbatim Theatre
Venue: Pollok Community Centre
Festival: FringeReview Scotland
Low Down
A verbatim piece of theatre covering eight women who box in Scotland at various levels within the sport. They have provided director and writer Marlissa Ross with their stories covering the prejudices that they face as well as the triumphs they have been experienced. It leads to a piece of theatre in a boxing ring in a community centre which is very authentic. Theatrically the stories are intermingled between eight actors who take elements of each person’s story and present them not as one actor for each boxer but one actor giving the views of a variety of the boxers that have been interviewed and are being presented.
Review
Theatre Alliance have been funded through the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2026 Festival Fund to put together these eight stories in one ring. Based in Kilmarnock, Theatre Alliance has an emerging ability of presenting work which is both thematically contemporaneous and challenging.
As a production the The Standing Eight jabs in the right places. It’s been a tough month for boxing with Raven Chapman being airlifted from where she was a sparring partner for Dina Thorsland due to a bleed in her brain, she is at time of writing in a coma. Boxing fans can, however, look forward to the final fight of Katie Taylor on the horizon at Croke Park. Right now, getting into boxing is much easier than for the pioneers, the American Christy Martin who ended up abused and in a bizarre relationship with her husband and coach or Jane Couch having to take the British Boxing Board of Control to court to fight as a women boxer on a British card. Here, we realise that we may have come a long way, but prejudices remain. How entrenched those prejudices are, is debatable. Hardened attitudes may be slowly beginning to melt because the evidence in front of the eyes of the hardened male boxing fraternity is that women can not only fight, they not only have a right to do so, but they also bring advantages to the gym which emerge over time.
The boxing community is celebrated, not overtly criticised as the view of the women who box is that boxing is consistently behind them, they are family.
Actors, Susan Sloey, Ipshita Depnath, Rachael Swanson, Hollie Barbour, Breagha McMahon, Lucy Telford, Natalie MacKenzie and Lauren Cameron bring those ideas to mind as they perform a difficult piece of theatre, with great skill. There is not a linear story, but a series of opinions, reflections and observations which build towards a climax. Credit to all of the cast. Credit too to Cameron Beattie, the sole male on stage. He played a variety of roles and did so by being a little bit of a cypher, but the man can throw some shapes so he can.
The structure charts the boxers from walking through the gym on the first day to sparring, eventually to a first fight and to, in some cases, of the eight who were interviewed, a retirement and a comeback. It’s a wide range of views – those who box for their country to those who took it up for exercise, those who had a brother and a father in the sport to those who had no connection.
Most aspects are commented upon, however, what is not examined is the brutality of the sport which can end up with fatal casualties. That would appear to be because they have either never suffered from nor seen them in rings. Whilst I might have wanted to know their opinion, if they are not willing to give it or lack that as an experience it would be wrong for it to be presented. It does, however, make this a very positive and uplifting message of a highly violent, dangerous and some time fatal sport.
It is, however as a theatrical experience that it is judged and at times there were elements which were a little repetitive. It needs a judicious edit if it is to have a second life.
Boxing is theatre.
Anybody who goes to York Hall, the mecca of British boxing in London, standing over the top of the boxers in the ring, talk of how this cauldron, crucible, a place where there is no hiding is thrilling. It’s an example of the sight lines that work whereas Ringside seats are never really raised making I tough, even in the dear seats to see properly. We also have not just the ring walk, but also the announcer, cards held up to announce each round, the clacker, the bell, the red and the blue, the home and away corner. These were available but missing. It felt that time had not been a friend and we could have had more integration to provide the process with more boxing which theatrically would have given it a much stronger feel. Having said that the reaction of the full house was massive appreciation.
There were plenty of moments of laughter when recognisable observations struck a chord which meant that it was truly presented authentically.
Setting a boxing ring was perhaps a little obvious however it was well enough used, though walking to the front also felt a little repetitive. Movement and the choreography, however, really enhanced it and worked exceptionally well.
Costume and sounds were exactly what you would expect I thought the lighting could have been a little bit more theatrical as well however having said that it worked.
This was a great representation of the women interviewed, it had areas of development which hint that it could be improved but as it stands, it is in pretty decent shape to be ready in a clinch to deliver a knockout blow.
