Holly Blakey presents: Cowpuncher My Ass at the Southbank Centre

Choreographer Holly Blakey will be returning to the Southbank Centre in February for a genre-defining western-inspired dance performance Cowpuncher my Ass.

The show will be arriving for one night only on February 15 to the Royal Festival Hall which will be transformed into the Wild West.

Cowpuncher my Ass brings to life a vibrant and sometimes violent western tale with an underscore by Mica Levi, executed by the London Contemporary Orchestra for the first time.

The performance explores themes of gender stereotypes, identity and sexual politics with punk-style costumes designed by Andreas Kronthaler with corseted dresses, oversized shirts and belts to pay homage to the late icon Vivienne Westwood.

Choreographer Holly Blakey said: “It has been four years of playing with this sequel of ideas, unearthing and retelling and driving somewhere new. I am honoured and excited to close this journey at the Royal Festival Hall with collaborators I so love and admire.”

Mark Ball, artistic director of the Southbank Centre, said: “This is such a glorious, genre-defying collaboration by artists fizzing with creative ideas and we’re excited to see Holly and Mica’s truly bold creative vision grow from strength to strength.

“After sell-out runs in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the grandeur of the Royal Festival Hall will be a fitting setting for such a daring, and newly expanded, cross-artform work. Their return to the Southbank Centre in February will be an early highlight of 2023’s performance and dance programme.”

Tickets are on sale now at:  https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/performance-dance/holly-blakey-presents-cowpuncher-my-ass

Picture: Cowpuncher my Ass dancers lit in contrasting colours Picture: Daniele Fummo