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Monkey off My Back or the Cat’s Meow

A piece for dancers and actors

By Trajal Harrell / Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble
Staging and Choreography: Trajal Harrell

50% contemporary dance
50% music
100% personal invitation

How can something arise from nothing? This question has occupied not only philosophy since its beginnings, but also the U.S. choreographer Trajal Harrell. In his new work, he searches for forms that develop freely and without external influence. The starting point of the project is an obscure gathering of dazzling characters in the vast dimensions of the Schiffbau-Halle. In the gathering of dancers and actors from the Zurich ensemble, the potentials for revolution and beauty unfold in equal measure, concepts of something and nothing are brought into juxtaposition. An iconography that, between historical references and pop culture, between everyday gestures, social patterns and artificial poses, conjures up the powers of the body. In the alchemy of theater, life emerges from no particular theme… The team starts with nothing, wanders here and there, but all withstanding most of all together.

Tickets for the show as part of the Swiss Dance Days available here

With New Kyd / Alicia Aumüller / Frances Chiaverini / Sultan Çoban / Adel Sze-Farragne / Trajal Harrell / Tabita Johannes / Thibault Lac / Nasheeka Nedsreal / Perle Palombe / Karin Pfammatter / Maximilian Reichert / Lena Schwarz / Stephen Thompson / Songhay Toldon / Jeremy Nedd / Thomas Wodianka

Staging, Choreography, Stage Design, Costumes, Soundtrack: Trajal Harrell
Rehearsal Director: Maria Ferreira Silva / Ondrej Vidlar
Co-Soundtrack: Asma Maroof
Co-Stage: Erik Flatmo
Light Design: Stéfane Perraud
Dramaturgy: Laura Paetau / Tobias Staab

2h, no interval
Premiere: 3 December 2021, Schiffbau-Halle
Also interesting for ages 16 and up
🛈 Tickets for the show as part of the Swiss Dance Days via their Website oder Mail

Introduction: Laura Pateau

Image gallery & Videos

Bits on Pieces

More texts and contexts related to our stagings in the theatre’s journal.

Die Künstlerin Shirana Shahbazi hat die Inszenierung Monkey off My Back or the Cat's Meow von Trajal Harrell besucht, und ihre Erfahrungen des Abends für das Schauspielhaus Journal in einem kurzen Erfahrungsbericht festgehalten. Ihr Text ist ein Loblied jener Gefühle, die sich abseits des analytischen Denkens einstellen, ein Plädoyer für das Erleben, eine positive Nachricht zum Jahresende.

On Celebrations, Declarations and a Mind For Dancing

In early December, Monkey off My Back or the Cat's Meow by Trajal Harrell celebrated its premiere in the Halle at Schiffbau. For his second work at the Schauspielhaus, he transformed the Halle into a catwalk of gigantic dimensions, where dancers and actors meet. For the program booklet of the production, the dramaturges Laura Paeteau and Tobias Staab conducted a conversation with Harrell in which the influences of Monkey off My Back or the Cat's Meow are discussed as well as the question of why there is now a Schauspielhaus Zürich Dance Ensemble.

Directors Talk:
Trajal Harrell and
Christopher Rüping

With the series Directors Talk you can bring our in-house directors Alexander Giesche, Suna Gürler, Trajal Harrell, Yana Ross, Christopher Rüping, Nicolas Stemann, Wu Tsang, and co-artistic director Benjamin von Blomberg along with you into the productions of the 2021/22 season in eight conversations. During the second lockdown they met on Zoom to talk about here, now, and tomorrow, mainly in pairs and once round-robin. The conversations are part of the season preview, which presents the 2021/2022 season and is available now in all our venues, as well as free to order online.

Directors Talk:
Wu Tsang and Trajal Harrell