Golden Gloves

Golden Gloves is a play by Thulani Mtshali.

The original text

A play about the popularity of boxing among township youths. The play is about a young man who begins to look down on his people after passing matric. However, he does not manage to achieve his dream of attending university. On his way to registering for a university degree, he becomes a victim when a “trickster” cheats him out of his university fees. The play describes how the character spirals into a series of misfortunes. The play is a portrayal of the exploitation of Africans by Africans.

Performance history in South Africa

1991: First performed by Bachaki Theatre, directed by Thulani Sifeni at the Funda Centre, and at the Presbyterian Church in Hillbrow, the Market Theatre in Johannesburg and at a human rights and arts festival in Port Elizabeth during the course of 1991.

1993: Presented at the National Arts Festival and Windybrow Festival. The play won the Festival’s Best of the Fringe Award and a Vita Award.

Sources

Andile Xaba. 2021. 'Collective memory and the construction of a historical narrative, analysis and interpretation of selected Soweto-based community plays (1984–1994)'. Unpublished PhD thesis.

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