Cowpuncher My Ass at the Southbank Centre review

Holly Blakey makes a triumphant return to the Southbank Centre with the highly anticipated performance of "Cowpuncher My Ass," which features a score by Mica Levi, accompanied by the esteemed London Contemporary Orchestra (LCO).

Image: Cowpuncher My Ass, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, 2023, Arnaud Mbaki

Blakey is a renowned choreographer, whose portfolio includes music videos, live shows, and fashion campaigns. Cowpuncher My Ass is a captivating sequel to her 2018 debut, Cowpuncher, and her return sees it as her biggest and most impressive performance yet. You may be curious about what exactly “Cowpuncher “ is; it is an age-old term for a cowboy. The show’s name was rooted in Blakey's interest in the exploration of masculinity, campness, sexual politics, gender, and power.

I hadn’t been to any of the previous Cowpuncher shows. Yet, I was drawn to it after reading a Guardian interview with Holly, where she was quoted saying “I want my dance to feel like The Sopranos”. As an avid fan of the cult classic show, I had a clear idea of what to expect: a sublime, unexpected, and unforgettable experience.

Image: Cowpuncher My Ass, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, Arnaud Mbaki

The programme describes the performance as “ A wicked cowboy, malignant forms of self-robbery, the group, the clan, the desire for you to watch and love me and have me love you back. Destructive forms of self-robbery, pure taste and the aesthetic which provide its theories, context and begging, ownership and desire. Pleasure, pure pleasure, pleasure of the senses, pleasure of the group, self-indulgence imprudent to the years of wishing my ass was as sweet as yours.”

It was a description that I didn't fully grasp until the end of the show. The dancers, dressed in eclectic outfits by Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, elicited exuberant cheers from the packed Royal Festival Hall as soon as they appeared on stage. The house lights stayed up for the first half of the show, which initially confused me, but soon put me at ease, like an appetiser preparing me for the main course.

The performance was just over an hour-long, taking the audience on a journey of movement, touch, tenderness, aggression, pleasure, confusion, sexuality, nakedness, and emotion. The dancers moved in sync with the intense and heartfelt music by the LCO, which perfectly complemented Blakey's dynamic choreography.

Image: Cowpuncher My Ass, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, 2023, Arnaud Mbaki

Although the dancing was impressive, it was the music that made the performance resonate, with every step and every beat in sync. The show ended with a huge standing ovation, leaving no doubt that the crowd agreed it was an impeccable and powerful performance.

It is hard to describe the beauty and intensity of this show, but it was undoubtedly "pure pleasure, the pleasure of the senses, the pleasure of the group..." I hope this isn't the last we see of Cowpuncher.

Date: Wed 15 February 2023, 7.30pm, Price: £22.50 ⁠–⁠ £40, Location: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.

Words by Maawura Totoe