Grand Finale
Choreography & Music by Hofesh Shechter
Performed by Hofesh Shechter Company
Part gig, part dance, part theatre and wholly original – there is no better way to describe Grand Finale, the latest work of internationally celebrated choreographer Hofesh Shechter.
Spectacularly bold and ambitious, Grand Finale is at once comic, bleak and beautiful, evoking a world at odds with itself, full of anarchic energy and violent comedy. Filtering this irrepressible spirit, Shechter creates a vision of a world in freefall, featuring an exceptional ensemble of dancers and a live band of musicians.
In 2018 Grand Finale was nominated for an Olivier award for Best New Dance Production and for Outstanding Production in the Bessies. It was also named Production of the Year by tanz magazine. This year Grand Finale won a 2019 Dora Award for Outstanding Touring Performance and was nominated for Best Dance Production in the 2019 Helpmann Awards.
Delve deeper into the creation of Grand Finale and get a unique insight behind the scenes with our Grand Finale resource pack – click here to download >>>
Grand Finale premiered at La Villette Paris with Théâtre de la Ville on 14 June 2017.
Set & Costumes designed by Tom Scutt
Lighting designed by Tom Visser
Music Collaborators: Nell Catchpole and Yaron Engler
Design Assistant: Rosie Elnile
Production Photography: Rahi Rezvani
Rehearsal Photography: Victor Frankowski
Original Cast of Dancers: Chien-Ming Chang, Frédéric Despierre, Rachel Fallon, Mickaël Frappat, Yeji Kim, Kim Kohlmann, Erion Kruja, Merel Lammers, Attila Ronai and Diogo Sousa.
Original Cast of Musicians: James Adams, Christopher Allan, Rebekah Allan, Mehdi Ganjvar, Sabio Janiak and Desmond Neysmith.
Reviews
‘Grand Finale was quite simply one of the most astonishing performances of dance I have seen in the last 30 years.’ - Audience member
★★★★★ 'When creative artists tackle contemporary themes the result is usually notable for one part of the equation: either as an insightful comment on the world around us or an artistic achievement in its own right. Grand Finale has the rare distinction of being both.' - Jill Sykes, The Sydney Morning Herald
★★★★ ‘Heart-stopping… Hofesh Shechter’s [Grand Finale] has arrived with a bang’ - Laura Cappelle, Financial Times
★★★★★ ‘A mature and magnificent work … sulphurous, visceral and surprisingly tender’ - Neil Norman, The Stage
★★★★ ‘a wild waltz for the end of time … [Grand Finale] ranks among Shechter’s most sophisticated creations’ - Judith Mackrell, The Guardian
★★★★ ‘The ultimate danse macabre […] Hofesh Shechter’s existential anguish and his often beautiful choreography fight to the death’ - Luke Jennings, The Observer
Commissioners
Produced by Hofesh Shechter Company and commissioned by Georgia Rosengarten.
Our Commissioning Partners are Sadler's Wells, Théâtre de la Ville-Paris / La Villette-Paris and Brighton Dome and Festival.
Co-commissioned by Colours International Dance Festival Stuttgart, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Romaeuropa Festival, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Marche Teatro / Inteatro Festival together with Danse Danse Montréal, HELLERAU-European Center for the Arts Dresden in cooperation with Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Dansens Hus Oslo, Athens and Epidaurus Festival, HOME Manchester and Scène Nationale d’Albi.
Grand Finale is generously supported by the International Music and Arts Foundation.