Winner of the 2022 Silver Gull Play Award, New Theatre presents the world premiere of Fighting by Sydney writer Xavier Coy this March.
An exploration into the mind of one man as he traverses the highs and lows of Bipolar over the course of a day, battling with both the people in his life and the voices in his head.
He works in a shop run by an elderly couple. They enjoy a virile sex life, while he is desperately lonely. He is confronted by his ex-girlfriend who is now engaged. A panic attack ensues.
He has a date that night with a woman he quite fancies. The evening is a disaster. Feelings of worthlessness and despair whirl around his head, triggering a depressive episode. Then the phone rings. He lives to fight another day.
Directed by the playwright, it features a cast of three terrific actors returning to the New Theatre stage: Jay James-Moody (The Venetian Twins), Sophie Highmore (Ink) and David Woodland (When the Rain Stops Falling, Wolf Lullaby).
“I wrote this play in the weeks after being diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. I’d spent a long time struggling with my mental health and after finally receiving my diagnosis and facing life with an answer, I did a lot of introspection and looked into how Bipolar was depicted and understood. It was pretty upsetting to see how my disease was being represented. That’s what led to me writing Fighting,” said Xavier Coy.
“This play is raw and by far the most personal I’ve ever written. I had to write it that way in order to achieve what I wanted: the help the audience to understand that we’re not crazy. The difficulties are deeply rooted in psychology and thought patterns which attach themselves to physical symptoms and states.”
“But I didn’t want to write trauma porn. This play needed comedy throughout because if you don’t laugh then you cry. Ultimately, I want an audience to do both those things and in the process be able to empathize a little because things that most people experience, sadness, anxiety, fear, are in Bipolar, just to a much more intense level,” said Coy.
Director and Playwright: Xavier Coy | Featuring: Sophie Highmore, Jay James-Moody, David Woodland | Set Designer: Tom Bannerman | Costume Designer: Hansen | Lighting Designer: Robin Legal | Sound Designer: Mehran Mortezaei | Stage Manager/Operator: Alastor Gooley
Fighting
New Theatre, 542 King Street, Newtown
Season continues to 12 April 2025
Information and Bookings: www.newtheatre.org.au
Image: David Woodland, Jay James-Moody and Sophie Highmore in New Theatre’s Fighting by Xavier Coy – photo by Chris Lundie