Two people on an illuminated platform facing each other. With their upper bodies bent far forward, they lean on their crutches and maintain intense eye contact. The person on the left wears a red jumpsuit with a wide belt, bell-bottoms and embellishments. She has dark, long hair combed back into a high ponytail. The person on the right is dressed in a white jumpsuit with a wide belt, flared pants and embellishments. The person has dark blonde, short hair.
A brunette person in a white jumpsuit with a wide belt and bell-bottoms. She wears a cape made of green silk. She stretches her arms wide apart and looks up with a smile. In her left hand the person holds a microphone, with her right hand she forms the rock'n'roll gesture.
The back view of a person in a red jumpsuit with long fringes attached to the sleeves. The person has tied her long brown hair into a high ponytail and is sitting in front of a trolley. With her arms held up, she crosses her red glittery crutches over her head.

Thank You Very Much

Claire Cunningham

Glasgow

Curtain up for the glitzy and mysterious world of “tribute artists” who are the doubles of famous pop stars. They pay homage to showbiz greats, summoning their idols by replicating their gestures, moves, voice and costumes down to the tiniest detail. Scottish choreographer Claire Cunningham invites you to come and explore this world at the Schauspielhaus, transforming it into a nightclub for the occasion. Together with the disabled artists Tanja Erhart, Vicky Malin and Jo Bannon, Cunningham uses the phenomenon of tribute artiststo raise questions about identity and acceptance, while at the same time remaining themselves. Who have we spent our whole lives trying to be? And what is “The Wonder of You”? Glamorously and accompanied by a pulsating soundtrack, the doubles conquer the stage and deconstruct the myth of the perfect body in their sparkling costumes while humorously challenging society’s perceptions of normality.

 

The Scottish choreographer Claire Cunningham rejects the traditions and body norms of dance and develops her own technique of movements based solely on the possibilities of her own body. She uses and repurposes her crutches as extensions of her dancing body. She also regards her art, which she deliberately develops from her perspective as a disabled artist, always as a form of activism. In 2021, she was awarded the German Dance Award.

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In DGS: Thank You Very Much

Production credits

Concept Claire Cunningham Performance Claire Cunningham, Jo Bannon, Tanja Erhart, Vicky Malin Dramaturgy Luke Pell Senior Producer Callum Smith Production Manager Emma Jones Sound Design Matthias Herrmann Costume Design Shanti Freed Scenography Bethany Wells Light Chris Copland Assistant Direction Dan Watson Translation, Transmission Maria Wünsche Company Manager Fiona Kennedy Stage Manager Anna Booth Lighting Supervisor Chris Copland Sound Supervisor Keir Martin Production Managers Emma Jones, Courtland Evje Operator Eva Salom Photo (1), Photo (2) Sven Hagolani Photo (3) Hugo Glendinning

Commissioned by Manchester International Festival, National Theatre of Scotland and Perth Festival in Cooperation with tanzhaus nrw and Dance Umbrella. Produced by Manchester International Festival and National Theatre of Scotland in Cooperation with Claire Cunningham Projects. A special project within the Bündnis internationaler Produktionshäuser, funded by Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien.