Call out for memories of Muhammad Ali ahead of theatre premiere
During the four days Muhammad Ali spent on Tyneside in 1977, huge crowds came out to see the World Heavyweight Champion and sporting icon.
The now legendary visit, which saw Ali have his marriage blessed at the Al Azhar Mosque in Laygatea mosque, South Shields while also visiting boxing clubs, Eldon Square and the Mayfair Ballroom, offers a backdrop to a new play, which will get its world premiere at Live Theatre next month (February).
Ishy Din’s Champion is a family drama set against Ali’s arrival in the region, which followed an invitation from Johnny Walker, a painter and decorator from Whitburn who wrote and asked him to help raise money for his local boxing club.
Arriving just days after the Queen had been on Tyneside as part of her Silver Jubilee tour, Ali was followed and mobbed everywhere he went - spending some of his time touring South Tyneside in an open top bus.
Now those who have memories, photos and other memorabilia from his visit are being invited to share them ahead of the play opening on February 13.
Middlesbrough born Writer Ishy Din said: “The Ali fights are seared into my memory. I didn’t grasp his achievements or politics, I was simply swept up in the collective excitement in our house. For a young Pakistani Muslim growing up in the North East, Ali was the brightest star in the Universe.
“My play seeks to capture the essence of Alis’s visit which underscored the interconnectedness of people and places and showed how a global icon could touch lives in the most unexpected settings.”
Jack McNamara, artistic director added: “It’s amazing how a cultural event from nearly 50 years ago remains so clearly etched in people’s minds here.
“Since announcing this show everyone we talk to has a story about it, or knows someone who does. We are keen to gather these together so that the story is kept alive far beyond the walls of our theatre.”
Anyone with photographs or memories to share should contact the team at Live Theatre by emailing to info@live.org.uk For more information on Champion and to book tickets, visit www.live.org.uk