Overview
“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 our stage, 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.
Curriculum Links
The Arts Curriculum V9.0
- AC9AMU8E01: Listen to and evaluate how elements of music are manipulated by composers to draw attention to social issues or values — for example, protest songs, nationalistic music, or songs exploring identity and belonging.
- AC9ADR8E02: Investigate the diversity of drama created and/or performed by First Nations Australians, considering culturally responsive approaches to Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) rights.
English V9.0
- AC9E10LE06: Compare the “voice” of protest in a range of poems or songs and evaluate how different voices evoke a response.
- AC9LIT10U03: Examine the language of specific texts (e.g. protest songs, graffiti) to identify how language is used for social commentary.
Senior Syllabuses
The Arts General Subjects
Specific Senior Curriculum Links
- Music: Unit 2 – Identities
- Drama: Unit 1 -Stories and Unit 3 -Challenge
Cross-Curriculum Priority: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures
- English: Students explore Aboriginal cultural knowledge, traditions, and experiences as represented and communicated through traditional, modern, and contemporary texts.
- The Arts: Students learn about the distinctiveness and diversity of First Nations Australians’ cultural practices and artistic expressions, which represent unique ways of being, knowing, thinking, and doing. They examine how First Nations artists use materials, forms, and technologies in innovative ways to celebrate culture, challenge perspectives, and communicate ideas.
Learning Resources
Plan Your Visit
Extend the Experience
The below activities for students are part of the Interdisciplinary Learning Program and are designed to extend the experience beyond the performance. Book these via the Creative Learning Enquiry form.
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Panel: Storytelling for Healing |
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Panel: Pathways into Creative Industries |
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Music Workshop: Songs of Protest |
Gallery
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
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Photo credit: Brett Boardman 
Cast
- Performer Mandela Mathia
Creatives
- Writer Mandela Mathia
- Director Jessica Arthur
- Assistant Director Mehhma Malhi
- Set & Costume Designer Keerthi Subramanyam
- Sound Designer & Composer Brendan Boney
- Original Lighting Designer Kate Baldwin
- Technical Co-Ordinator Joel Montgomery
- Stage Manager Grace Calabretto
QPAC's Creative Learning Program
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Image by Andi Crown Photography Dakota of the White Flats
13 - 15 May 2026Cremorne TheatreA high-action punk noir that snatches the classic coming-of-age story out of the hands of a gang of boys, and passes it to two unapologetic, brave young women.
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Image by Andi Crown Photography Red Leap Theatre Workshop
14 & 15 May 2026, 11:30amLyric LoungeDakota of the White Flat’s Director will lead a student workshop to build drama skills and explore the themes of the production.
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Panel: Pathways into Creative Industries
15 May 2026, 11:30amCremorne TheatreThis panel introduces students to people who work in the creative industries — artists, producers and technical experts who make theatre, music, film and live performance for a living.
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GRIMM – Tales from the Brothers Grimm GRIMM – Tales from the Brothers Grimm
22 May - 13 Jun 2026Cremorne TheatreHappily, ever after? Never. GRIMM, the smash‑hit, deliciously‑twisted, sold out production returns to QPAC’s Cremorne Theatre.
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Macbeth Macbeth
6 - 21 Jun 2026PlayhouseIn celebration of its 20th anniversary, revered production house Shake & Stir Theatre Co tackle Shakespeare’s most-gripping tragedy, Macbeth.
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Lose to Win Lose to Win
24 - 27 Jun 2026Cremorne TheatreA celebration of the South Sudanese community, of resilience, and the power of imagination.
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Storytelling for Healing Panel: Storytelling for Healing
25 Jun 2026, 1pmCremorne TheatreA panel discussion about the importance of storytelling in the healing journey for refugees.
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Songs of Protest Workshop
Artists in ClassroomsGuided by First Nations musicians, students will explore how song becomes a voice for truth and transformation – investigating stories of colonialism, the Stolen Generations, and resilience.