Stunning / Theatrekrant
In the depths of a private locked room, HUNTER toys with the redemptive process of a classical tragedy, whereby a character is made to gain insight through suffering. Though in this tragedy, performer and choreographer Courtney May Robertson enacts so-called life-affirming monstrosities upon herself and her life-sized doppelgänger in doll form. The duo – one of flesh and blood, the other crafted from foam and silicone – map out the internal torments and ecstasies of an individual in conflict with a society that upholds purity as a moral standard.
Inspired by Horror, BDSM and Melodrama, a tapestry of images are woven in which the grotesque, sexual perversion and excessiveness become triumphant symbols for bodily autonomy and empowerment. Spectators are invited to enter a space where the rigid dichotomy between repulsion and attraction dissolves. Courtney is convinced that when shame is suspended the visceral emotion of disgust, generally associated with aversion, has the capacity to transform into paradoxical intrigue. Propelled by an industrial soundscape composed by ‘Acidic Male’, in HUNTER self-destruction is embraced as an act of self-preservation.
At its core, I would say that HUNTER is about dangerously obsessive desire. The kind of intoxicating desire that grabs you by the throat and pins you down and takes your life; and you let it destroy you and adore every second of it. / Courtney May Robertson
HUNTER was awarded the VSCD Mime / Performance Prize at the Netherlands Theater Festival and listed in NRC’s 10 Best Dance Performances of 2024.
Presented by Dansens Hus
Recommended age: 18+. Contains strobe lighting, smoke effects, loud music, full nudity, elements of BDSM imagery, and references to self-harm.
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Concept, Choreography, Video Design & Performance: Courtney May Robertson
Sound Design: Puck Schot (Acidic Male)
Light & Stage Design: Manuel Boutreur
Dramaturgy: Lara van Lookeren
Puppet Design: Ronald Schinkelshoek
Wig Design: Zoe Morgan
Costume Design: Matija Franjes
Discomfort Devices: BNDSN
Movement Assistant: Olympia Kotopolous
Additional Sound Curation: Courtney May Robertson
Creative Producer: Lena Meijer
PR & Communication: Jannes Heidinga
Graphic Design: Lejla Vala Verheus
Poster Image: Lisa Schamlé
Co-produced by: Dansateliers, Dans Brabant, ICK Artist Space & Grand Theatre Groningen
Financially supported by: Stimuleringsfonds Design Grant, Fonds 21, AFK & Gemeente Rotterdam
With thanks to: Yoko Haveman
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Courtney May Robertson (Scotland, 1992) is an artist and interdisciplinary performer based in Rotterdam. After graduating from the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance in 2013, she joined Club Guy & Roni’s Poetic Disasters Club and has since worked with a number of choreographers across Europe, including Jan Martens and Florentina Holzinger. Courtney has created two solo works: the pleasure of stepping off a horse when it’s moving at full speed (2020) and THE WOMAN DESTROYED (2022). Both works have toured in the Netherlands, and the pleasure of… continues to tour internationally. The work was also presented as part of a triple bill in 2023 at Dansens Hus Elverket within the framework of Aerowaves.
