Gypsy Queen at Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
Gypsy Queen was a complete success at Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and 2018 – boasting a heavyweight belt of four and five-star reviews. Following two nominations in the Manchester Theatre Awards last year, it returns to Manchester for a special one-off site-specific show at Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club.
Set in the competitive world of boxing, Gypsy Queen is a tale of love and boxing in the most unusual circumstances. Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club will host the play for two rare performances with the show being performed within the ropes of the boxing ring. There will be a family-friendly performance at 3pm, followed by the full production at 7pm.
Gypsy Queen is the story of ‘Gorgeous’ George O’Connell, a bare-knuckle fighter from a traveller family, a hero to his people and a self-proclaimed Gypsy King. George enters the world of professional boxing which puts him on a collision course with his roots, his fears and his very identity.
In the opposite corner is Dane ‘The Pain’ Samson, the young pretender and son of a boxing legend. Samson is fighting his own battles that lead to a tragedy that neither could predict.
This is a critically acclaimed love story about two men who find each other in the most unlikely of worlds. But can two men who have been raised to fight ever learn to love?
Most urgently, Gypsy Queen explores LGBTQ+ visibility in sport, faith, sexuality, and in notions of masculinity. Go see.
