Oona Doherty: Specky Clark

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.

★★★★
THE IRISH TIMES

"Oona Doherty puts worlds on stage you won’t see elsewhere"—THE GUARDIAN

"While its point of departure may be the working-class life of her great-grandfather in Belfast, [Specky Clark] quickly ventures into fantastical—and darkly funny—territory"—THE NEW YORK TIMES

“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
Ryan O'Neill
Erin O'Reilly
Joel Small

Music: Lankum and 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, and Christina Clerisse
Rehearsal director: Ryan O'Neill
Audio cast: Louise Conaghan, Janie Doherty, Sam Finnegan, Stephen Rae, Garry Rowntree
Technical direction: Marie Montfort Prédour
Lighting manager: Thibault Gambari
Creation set manager: Lisa M. Barry
Set engineer: Juliette Pierangelo
Latex props: Jessie Chalumeau
Photos and visuals: Luca Truffarelli
Subtitles: Nadir Bouassria, after a translation by Francesco Leto

Special thanks: 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

Please be advised that the performance contains smoke, theatrical haze, and gunshot sounds.

GROUP PACKAGES AND TICKETING OPTIONS

Bring your friends, family, and colleagues for a night of theatre and hospitality at Irish Arts Center. Learn more about group packages here.

Interested in bringing a group of ten or more, or a student group? Email ciara@irishartscenter.org for more info!

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