“In this country, you think it’s your right to have three meals a day. Me, where I came from? I think it’s a miracle.”

From South Sudan to Egypt to Belvoir St, this is the extraordinary journey of Mandela Mathia. Fleeing his war-torn home as a child, Mandela spent many years journeying, searching, and eventually finding his way to our stage. This is a joyful, poignant solo show, straight from the man who lived it.

A celebration of the South Sudanese community, of resilience, and the power of imagination, Lose To Win is an astonishing modern Australian story.

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Writer: Mandela Mathia

Director: Jessica Arthur

Designer: Keerthi Subramanyam

Lighting: Kate Baldwin

Composition and Sound: Brendon Boney

Cast: Mandela Mathia and Yacou Mbaye

Dramaturgical Consultant: Ayah Tayeh

Vocal Coach: Laura Farrell

Stage Manager: Jen Jackson

Photographer: Brett Boardman

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Belvoir Theatre | April/May 2024

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Time Out - ★★★★

• "It’s clear that the women in [Mathia's] life and his family, particularly his two mother figures, have shaped who Mathia is, helping him to steer clear of bad apples and the gangs that tempted others. Jessica Arthur is another guardian – finding him, believing in him, helping him develop this story – and dragging him through the doors at Red Line and Belvoir, so that stories like his get the investment and space they deserve. We need more theatre makers like these, so that we might learn and share in the joy of what it means to lose to win."​