OONA DOHERTY Specky Clark — A Series of Theatrical Images

In the organizer's words:

EN

As if a Francis Bacon painting came to life: a dance theater star hour with music by Lankum.

In 2022, Oona Doherty opened the summer festival with the world premiere of Navy Blue, a hyper-intense and visually powerful dance artwork about the crises of the present, which has been touring the world ever since. In her latest work Specky Clark, the Northern Irish choreographer now turns her attention to the story of her great-great-grandfather, who gives the piece its title. As a 10-year-old orphan, he was sent to live with two bizarre aunts in Belfast, where he was forced to work in a slaughterhouse. Doherty links this story about loss and the dark side of existence with Irish mythology and refers to works such as Francis Bacon's deformed portraits of people or the dance film "Billy Elliot". To the dark music of the Irish drone folk band Lankum, Sardinian overtone singing and the sonorous Irish narrative voice of acting legend Stephen Rae, she leads her protagonist through theatrical scenes between slapstick and surrealism. This scenic "finest hour" (Der Standard) culminates in an overflowing dance with the ancestors and is characterized both by Doherty's openness to different art forms and by her typical, sometimes vulnerable and then furiously violent movement language, which has made her a star of the European dance scene. The summer festival presents further works by Oona Doherty with an exhibition in the Vorhalle and with performances in all six houses of the Kunstmeile Hamburg.

EN

As if a Francis Bacon painting had come to life: a luminous dance theater performance set to music by Lankum.

In 2022, Oona Doherty opened the Summer Festival with NAVY BLUE, a vivid, high-intensity dance work on contemporary crises that continues to tour worldwide. Two Summer Festivals before, she exposed male fragility through movement in her highly acclaimed solo HOPE HUNT. In her new piece SPECKY CLARK, the northern Irish choreographer turns to her great-great-grandfather's story: orphaned at ten, he was sent to live with two eccentric aunts in Belfast and forced to work in a slaughterhouse. Doherty weaves this tale of loss and hardship into a world of Irish mythology, with references from Francis Bacon's distorted figures to the dance film "Billy Elliot". With music by Irish drone-folk band Lankum, Sardinian cantu tenore singing, and narration by legendary actor Stephen Rea, she guides her protagonist through surreal, slapstick-tinged scenes. This "artistic milestone" (Der Standard) culminates in a cathartic dance with the ancestors - shaped by both, Doherty's fearless blend of vulnerability and fury, and by her openness to a variety of forms. This is further highlighted during the festival through Doherty's installation at the Vorhalle and performances across the six Kunstmeile Hamburg venues.

Part of 50+ acts at the International Summer Festival 2025 at Kampnagel (6.-24.8.) - discover theater, music, art & dreams. #kampnagel25 #festivalvibes #roomtodream

Price information:

9 - 32 Euro (50 % discount with festival ticket) English with German subtitles, from 12 years