M’appelle Mohamed Ali

Author: DIEUDONNÉ NIANGOUNA | Directors: PHILIPPE RACINE & TATIANA ZINGA BOTAO 

At the edge of the stage, an African actor gets ready to play the great Muhammad Ali.
American boxing icon and campaigner against racial segregation. In a stunning moment, their struggles intertwine. Hitting hard with the incisive words of the champion. Dazzling with the boxer’s legendary moves. Roaring the resistance of the black theatre actor in the West. And as the fighters box, they dance.

Driven by an actor’s passion, this political work by the Congolese Dieudonné Niangouna links Africa to America through the fists of Ali. The polyphonic piece, directed by Philippe Racine and Tatiana Zinga Botao, offers the recently founded Théâtre de La Sentinelle the opportunity to summon a chorus of voices to join in a shared fight. On an almost bare stage, there are not just one or two rolling with the punches, but eight magnificent actors and one actress—an allusion to the mother’s crucial presence. Nine performers of African descent affirm this oratorio for dignity.
Respect.

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