Joel O’Donoghue presents: Anatomy Park: Gut. Heart. Brain.

A trilogy of dance theatre works about the body from Joel O’Donoghue, followed by a Q&A.

What to expect

Dance 1: Gut

Gut is an exploration into how the digestive system can react to trauma, and is set onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship (whose passengers were quarantined onboard for 2 weeks during the Pandemic).

Dance 2: Heart

Heart is an investigation into young peoples perspectives of romance and beauty, and social dancing through the years.

Dance 2: Brain

Brain is an exploration in to how loss of memory can change someone’s sense of identity and connection to society, and features a 140,000 stitch patchwork quilt (created in collaboration with sheltered accommodations in London).

About Joel O’Donoghue

Joel has worked as a performer for a range of internationally renowned companies such as: Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater Wuppertal, Luca Silvistrini’s Protein, Ben Wright’s BGROUP, and Hagit Yakira Dance. As a choreographer he has performed his own work at a variety of established venues both in the UK and abroad, such as Sadler’s Wells Lillian Baylis Studio, The Place, Tripspace, and L’Escaut (Brussels).. He was also commissioned to create a dance film work for Ballet Boyz, entitled Yes, which was premiered earlier this year as part of an online festival celebrating the life of Sir Ken Robinson.

In 2016 he received a Distinction in Performance Design and Practice, at UAL, and has since used these skills to design, source and construct set and costume for both his own work and other peoples. He is now interested in taking his own work to less conventional performance spaces, in order to make dance more accessible to the wider public.

Website | @joel.odonoghue

Reviews

“Beautifully done, and kind of revelatory too: whereof we cannot speak, thereof we remain… sound, image, voice, body.” – Sanjoy Roy, The Guardian

“This charm, and the beautiful composition of images, coaxes us into an acceptance of the inexplicable and delight in the non-sequitur.” – Miriam Garnett

“I am incredibly aware of the importance of memory, especially having recently witnessed the withering of my fathers memory. Events from his distant past recur and the repetition of these events become part of his everyday repertoire… So I find it very interesting to see this performance today. The look of bewilderment and longing, the repetition of phrases and anecdotes, they capture this. I’m not sure if this is what you intended but it certainly struck a chord with me.” – Angela Cousins

Relaxed Performance

Sunday 30 January – this showing is a Relaxed Matinee open to babes-in-arms, children & neurodivergent people. Including 15 minute interval and 20 minute post-show Q&A.