Raymond ‘Fight’ Beck, penned by Andre Mangion,  is Teatru Malta’s upcoming production, which will premiere at St James Cavalier theatre on March 10.

The recently-founded national theatre is producing the play in association with Spazju Kreattiv, with the support of the Malta Arts Fund.

Raymond ‘Fight’ Beck deals with the local boxing scene but not only.

“It gets you laughing, but also throws punches at you. In the end, Mangion’s story is set to leave audiences gasping for air and begging for one last punch,” said Sean Buhagiar, Teatru Malta artistic director and also director of this production.

The original piece is ultimately not just a play about the unequivocal sportsmanship displayed between the two protagonist boxers from Żejtun; it’s a production about life and the trials and tribulations that come with it.

Classicism, corruption and so much more happens between each nail-biting round in the ring. Mangion sheds light on the troubled past and present of his characters, with the boxing ring as their stage to let off blood, sweat and tears.

“This story has been a long time coming but it was all worth it. It’s a bit training. You train, and train, until you’re better than you could have ever imagined. I hope the audience loves it as much as I do. That would be our victory,”  Buhagiar said.

John Montanaro takes on the lead role of Raymond while Davide Tucci plays his opponent Dyson Cumbo, the show’s antagonist.  The actors have been training with professional boxer ‘Super’ Steve Martin for months, in anticipation of the premiere, adopting the seasoned tricks of the trade from the local boxers who know them best.

The cast also features theatre stalwarts like Lilian Pace Vassallo, Philip Mizzi, Peter Galea and It-Triccas. They are joined by audience favourite Hector Bruno, Kim Dalli, Ray Abdilla and Toni Busuttil.

Raymond ‘Fight’ Beck runs between March 10 and 18 at Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta. Tickets are available online or by calling on 21223200.

www.teatrumalta.org.mt