Specky Clark

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Choreographed, written, and directed by Oona Doherty in collaboration with the cast

An unflinching blend of fiction and biography, Specky Clark traces the journey of choreographer Oona Doherty’s great-great-grandfather as he arrives in Belfast. Lifting the veil on a Halloween night, ten international performers breathe life into this powerful and darkly funny narrative.

With music by Maxime Jerry Fraisse, incorporating both new and existing tracks from the contemporary Irish folk band Lankum.

“One of the most original and provocative voices of her generation”—THE BOSTON GLOBE

“This contemporary choreographer and performer from Belfast is astonishing”—GIA KOURLAS, NEW YORK TIMES

WINNER, OONA DOHERTY // Silver Lion 2021
VENICE BIENNALE

PERFORMERS
Diarmuid Armstrong
Maëva Berthelot
Malick Cissé
Gerard Headley
Clay Koonar
Gennaro Lauro
Zoé Lecorgne
Erin O’Reilly
Faith Prendergast
Joel Small

Music: Lankum, Cantu Tenore Gavino Murgia, featuring David Holmes and Raven Violet
Composition and sound design: Maxime Jerry Fraisse
Lighting design: John Gunning
Set design: Sabine Dargent, assisted by Caroline Menassol
Costume design: Darius Dolatyari-Dolatdoust in collaboration with Constance Tabourga, assisted by Aela Bristiel, Lena Manin, Paul Escamez, Ambre Beylier, Meryl Degez, Christina Clerisse
Rehearsal director: Solène Weinachter
Audiocast: Louise Conaghan, Janie Doherty, Sam Finnegan, Stephen Rae, Garry Rowntree
Technical direction: Marie Montfort Prédour
Lighting direction: Thibault Gambari
Creation set manager: Lisa M. Barry
Set engineer: Juliette Pierangelo
Latex props conception: Jessie Chalumeau
Photos and visuals: Luca Truffarelli
Subtitles: Nadir Bouassria after a translation by Francesco Leto
Mentor and dramaturgy: Enda Walsh

Special thanks to: Jen Malarkey

OD Works
Development director: Dorothée Alemany
Logistics: Lucie Gissinger Maurandy
Administration: Christine Maupetit

Co-production: Ballet Preljocaj/CCN Aix-en-Provence (FR); Dublin Dance Festival and the Abbey Theatre (IE); Sadler's Wells, London (UK); International Summer Festival Kampnagel (DE); Festspielhaus St. Pölten (AT); Théâtre de la Ville, Paris (FR); Tanz Köln (DE); MC2: Grenoble (FR); CCN Ballet National de Marseille (FR)

Residencies: Ballet Preljocaj/CCN Aix-en-Provence, KLAP-Maison pour la Danse Marseille, CCN Ballet National de Marseille

Presented with generous support from Culture Ireland, Tourism Ireland, the Arnhold Foundation, Alan Klein, and the Harkness Foundation.