From Stranger Things to a Welsh fight for justice

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Fight choreographer, Kev McCurdy has worked on Hollywood blockbusters, Netflix series and West End hits such as Stranger Things.

This autumn, he makes his professional directorial debut as he directs a play which seeks the recognition for a Welsh boxer’s extraordinary exploits.

THE FIGHT, produced by Theatr na nÓg, will play to over 5000 school children at the Dylan Thomas Theatre in Swansea and Theatr Brycheiniog in Brecon from September to November 2024.

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 due to the colour of his skin.

For a play titled The Fight, McCurdy is an appropriate choice to direct. 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 Stranger Things (“It’s not even just a show,” he laughs, “It’s an event!”). This is his debut as director with a professional company, rather than fight director.

The Fight’s lead character is Cuthbert Taylor, a pioneer in the boxing scene of the 1920s and 1930s. In 1928, he became the first black boxer to represent Great Britain at the Olympic Games. Yet the wider establishment were fearful of what message a Black fighter defeating a white opponent might send out, so the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC) banned non-white boxers from competing for the British title, sighting Taylor to be “not white enough to be British” at the time. The ‘colour bar rule’ in place between 1911 and 1948 stated a fighter had to have two white parents. Despite being Welsh bantamweight champion, Taylor would never have the opportunity to become recognised as the best in Britain.

Director Kev McCurdy was amazed and saddened by the story and how few people had heard of Taylor’s plight: “We have to get this out there, to let people know his story.” Kev continued: “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 Kev McCurdy and Cuthbert 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 and Drama, and then the first registered fight director of colour.

Cuthbert Taylor’s family have worked closely with Theatr na nÓg for several years on the production of The Fight. Bringing with them an invaluable insight into their grandfathers’ life and legacy. Cuthbert Taylor’s grandson Alun Taylor explained: “Our grandfather Cuthbert Taylor was denied his basic human rights, because of the colour of his skin. Nearly a century later, Theatr na nÓg 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.”

Taylor’s family has approached the British Boxing Board of Control for an apology for the colour bar which disallowed him to fight for the British title, they have received nothing in return, but they are now hoping that The Fight might help their plight in seeking retribution.

The Fight is suitable for children aged 9+ and performances for schools in Swansea are already fully booked with a waiting list. There is still availability for school performances at Theatr Brycheiniog. There is a public performance on the 26th of September 2024 with limited availability.