WrestleLadsWrestle Review

(Photo from WRESTLELADSWRESTLE official ticket website)

A powerful and intriguing show of passionate emotion portrayed through a mix of dance, judo and storytelling. On the surface, this memoir tells the story of a Judo instructor teaching self-defence to her students and the audience, but there are layers beneath that need to be explored on a deeper level.

Watching pure emotion on stage:

Watching this performance in-person in the Sheffield Crucible theatre was an experience I won’t soon forget. The amount of pure emotion washing over Jenni, and subsequently the audience, was enough to move anyone. Having the two consistent characters of Jenni (Jennifer Jackson) and Simon (Simon Carroll Jones) narrating the experience, as well as a live PowerPoint behind the stage captioning everything occurring on stage, produces a well-thought-out act and intimate atmosphere. 

With live drums played by Izzy, the emotion from Jenni’s past is amplified. The loud instrumentals producing backing music for the judo practice as well as acting as the timer for the subsequential judo fights; it conveys the stress and impact of the narrative in which we are being told. The well-thought-out production of this performance, including its choreography and captioning, does not (in any way) take away from the raw emotional effect it is able to bring to its audience. It is outstanding.

Photo by Chris Payne.

Conversations of race:

Jennifer Jackson (under 50kg AJA Judo Champion) leads us through a story of her childhood recalling an incident where her Bolivian mother encountered racial abuse in public when she was a child. By using the Bolivian Cholita dance, Jenni is able to effectively communicate the history and importance that Bolivian culture has on her life and past. Including the comedic mention of her mother’s ‘Bolivian curses’, which her mother would chant at her judo opponent to help her win, with the matches without her mother’s curses Jenni loses. I love the in-depth mentions of her Bolivian background and how her mother’s racial abuse affected her childhood.

It gives a super powerful read into Bolivian culture and England’s (not so far) history of racism. And as it tours England, it provides lasting effects on their audiences.

Photo by Chris Payne

Judo-classroom setting:

As the theme of community is an integral part of this performance, the atmosphere of a beginner's judo classroom evokes a great feeling of comfort and acceptance. With 26 people filling the stage by the end, all learning from Jenni and Simon, it creates the illusion that the audience is in the class with them. This exceptional use of spacing and involvement of the audience in cheering and welcoming new students into the classroom leaves the whole auditorium feeling energised and a part of the community that is created.

With the penultimate scene being intense and worrying as Jenni leans too far into her past and channels it through her impactful ‘judo falls’, the final scene provides a dramatic change from all of the angst felt throughout the play and brings everything back to the present reality - as the classroom hands out orange slices and water bottles, we are reminded of the supportive community which surrounds us and our ability to live without guilt and tensions from the past.

Final Thoughts:

I would highly recommend going to see ‘WrestleLadsWrestle’ if it comes to a city near you. You will leave the theatre full of both comfort and questions, but ultimately changed in how you perceive those around you.

Photo by me. Of Beth and Emma, a founder, watching WrestleLadsWrestle live in Sheffield.