Immersive event Rumble in the Jungle Rematch arrives in London this September, to recreate one of the greatest sporting events of the 20th Century.
Promising to be action-packed and adrenaline boosting, the experience will reimagine the legendary Muhammad Ali and George Foreman boxing match – dubbed The Rumble in the Jungle – nearly 50 years ago, alongside the Zaire 1974 music festival.
Both were iconic moments of history – and the event will fuse theatre, sport and technology by live sporting events company Rematch (Wimbledon Rematch 1980), and play at London’s Dock X in Canada Water from 13 September 2023.
The team announced to create this experience includes Secret Cinema’s Miguel H Torres as Creative Director; Writer Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, director of the hit West End play For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy; and Music Direction by Femi Temowo, acclaimed composer and jazz Gguitarist.
The wider creative team includes: Malu Ansaldo (Creative Producer); Takis (Set Designer); Alex Payne (Fight Director); Joseph Toonga (Movement Director & Choreographer); Ian William Galloway (Video Design); Salvador Bettencourt Ávila (Video Design); Xana (Sound Designer); Matt Daw (Light Designer); Jessica Cabassa (Costume Designer); Selma Nicholls (Casting Director); and Kate Waters (Development Fight Director).
Rumble in the Jungle Rematch will be brought to life by a live cast of actors, with live music, food and drink to recreate the authentic smells and tastes of the time, with casting to be announced soon.
From Muhammad’s pre-match trash talking to the step-by-step play-out of the fight where his famous rope-a-dope was performed, Rumble in the Jungle will take audiences on a journey, capturing every side of the story, and following the footsteps of both Ali and Foreman – from the media attention that surrounded the fight, to the fight itself that saw an underdog, Ali, fight for the world heavyweight title.
The event will also feature the sounds of the Zaire 74 music festival, which saw the biggest global acts in black music perform, including; James Brown, BB King, Bill Withers, Sister Sledge and a slew of Africa and Latin America’s best musicians.
In the lead-up to the physical event, Rematch will launch exhilarating VR experience LockerRoom via a local communities initiative. Partnering with StoryFutures, selected libraries across the UK including in Sheffield, Bristol, Swindon, Lambeth, Swansea and more will give a taster of what to expect at Rumble in the Jungle Rematch.
Rematch has developed the show together with Authentic Brands Group (ABG), which in partnership with Lonnie Ali as trustee of the Muhammad Ali Family Trust‘s (MAFT) own Muhammad Ali Enterprises.
Book tickets to Rumble in the Jungle Rematch at Dock X in London
