Dead Cat Bounce
Dead Cat Bounce
oratorio/installation
[composer/performer]Dead Cat Bounce is a collaborative performance work by Gary Zhexi Zhang and Waste Paper Opera, telling tales of time, money and the unmaking of reality in the wake of catastrophe.
Dead Cat Bounce was commissioned by Arts Catalyst, with support from Medialab-Matadero. Its development was supported by Wysing Arts Centre and London Performance Studios, and the premiere is being supported by Somerset House Studios.
Dead Cat Bounce was commissioned by Arts Catalyst, with support from Medialab-Matadero. Its development was supported by Wysing Arts Centre and London Performance Studios, and the premiere is being supported by Somerset House Studios.
Project timeline:
October - December 2024 – Installation at Soft Ground, Sheffield
October 2024 – Performance at Soft Ground (No Bounds Festival), Sheffield
July 2024 – Performance at Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham
April 2024 - Performance at Eastide Projects, Birmingham
March 2024 - Performance of Jeremiah scene at Cafe OTO, London
January 2023 - Live session on Resonance Extra
October 2022 - Online screening at As We Leave the Window Open
July 2022 - Performance at Somerset House, London
May 2022 - Installation performance at Open Lab, Matadero, Madrid
April 2022 - Wysing Arts Centre residency
April 2022 - London Performance Studios residency
Performance:
Somerset House
14th July 2022
Performed as a stand alone event programmed by Somerset House Studios.
Full credits from the London premiere:
MUSIC James Oldham
LIBRETTO & DESIGN Klara Kofen
Gary Zhexi Zhang
CURATOR Anna Santomauro
FEATURING
Niccolò Jommelli’s Le Lamentazioni del profeta Geremia per il Mercoledi Santo, Lamentazione terza: O vos omnes’, 1750
SOLOISTS
Gabriella Liandu ||||| The Historian
Meili Li ||||| The Prophet Jeremiah
Geoff Clapham ||||| The Real Estate Agent of Miami
ENSEMBLE
Sarah Farmer ||||| Violin
Chihiro Ono ||||| Viola
Aaron Diaz ||||| Trumpet & Sousaphone
Louis d’Heudieres ||||| Synthesiser & Guitar
BANKERS
Klara Kofen ||||| First “Mark”
Gary Zhexi Zhang ||||| Second “Mark”
WASTE PAPER OPERA CHORUS
Conducted by James Oldham
Lucy Armstrong
Jacob Bolton
Hannah Calascione
Will Clark
Gabriella Demczuk
Emily Dunlop
Joe Garcia
Ella Golt
Harley Grellier
George Haggett
Joe Jones
Xin Liu
George Ridgway
Anna Rieser
Shannon Simon
Eleanor Westbrook
Paul Zaba
PRODUCTION
Gabriel Finn ||||| Lighting Design
Daniel Ehrlich ||||| Sound Engineering
Agnes Cameron ||||| Assistant Costume Maker
FILMING & EDITING Fergus Carmichael
WITH THANKS TO
Laurent John
Huw Thomas
Leonara Manyangadze
Marie McPartlin
Sally O’Reilly
Dead Cat Bounce was commissioned by Arts Catalyst, with support from Medialab-Matadero. Its development was supported by Wysing Arts Centre and London Performance Studios, and the premiere is being supported by Somerset House Studios.
Installation:
OpenLAB#01 Medios Sintientes
@ Matadero, Madrid – 6th May 2022
This version of Dead Cat Bounce became an durational installation that ran for 30 minutes. Hypothetically, it could run continuously as a loop. The costumes were hanging from the ceiling and uplit, exerpts of the score were on music stands, images from Zhang’s associated research projects were projected on the floor. Recordings from our Wysing residency were edited into a 30-minute surround sound audio mix that was played through an 8.2 PA system.
The result is like a exhibition for a show that hasn’t yet happened.
activity
UPCOMING EVENTS [composition] [performance] [workshop]
2026
27 January
[chorus session]
I’ll be leading the first Waste Paper Opera Chorus session of the year, featuring projects and exercises from Milo Thesger-Meacham, Collette Sheddick, Dan Rhys Wakefield, and WPO directors Klara Kofen and myself. From 6:30-9pm at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Peckham, London
2 February
[performance]
Leo Elia – Playbill Prologue, Golden Pudel Club, Hamburg
4 February
[radio show/hosting]
The Clint Show is a brand new radio series on Resonance FM. Weekly episodes on Wednesdays at 8pm and repeated on Thursdays at 10am.
7 - 12 March
[UK & Ireland tour]
At a Safe Distance tour 2026 with Ellie Westbrook, Natacha Diels and guest artists in each location. Ellie and I will be performing the Human Scene from Waste Paper Opera’s 2020 production Syrup Tracing; or on the significance of rising and/or falling. We will also perform new work and sequences alongside a new set by Natacha Diels, which comprises At a Safe Distance. Dublin, Cork, Oxford, Hastings, London
RECENT PAST EVENTS [composition] [performance] [workshop]
2025
29 March
[performance]
Appearance with Anat Ben-David on the Hello Goodbye Show with deXter Bentley on Resonance FM talking about our process and performing live on air
10 March
[writing]
I am making an experimental 5-part radio series with Neil Luck and Milo Thesiger-Meacham, which will be launched in 2026. The ‘writers’ room’ session at upstairs at The Kings’ Arms in Borough was a drinking and writing session with invited writers to create a radio episode where the writing is a texture of the broadcast, London
22 February
[curation/hosting]
I programmed and hosted an experimental performance event called Radio Killed the Video Star bringing together music, comedy, performance art, video and DJs. This was a fundraiser event for Resonance FM produced collaboratively with Milo Thesiger-Meacham and Spike Silverton at Spanners Club, London
21 February – 11 May
[composition/screening]
Free to Choose screening with new installation by Bahar Noorizadeh at FACT, Liverpool
2024
19 December[performance]
A set of songs written with Anat Ben-David, performed at Signature Dish, a Resonance FM fundraiser event at All is Joy, London
17 October – 14 December
[installation/composition]
Dead Cat Bounce installation by Gary Zhexi Zhang and Waste Paper Opera at Soft Ground, Sheffield
20 November
[chorus]
Waste Paper Opera chorus session R&Ding new works by Steve Potter, George Ridgway and João Ruivo. 6-9pm – all with an interest in singing are welcome. The session took place at The Old Nunshead pub, London
31 October
[performance]
Performance of Robert Ashley’s The Wolfman at Music We’d Like to Fear, London
12 October
[composition/performance]
Dead Cat Bounce performance with Waste Paper Opera at Soft Ground, Sheffield
25 July
[composition/performance]
Dead Cat Bounce performance with Waste Paper Opera at Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham
4 July
[composition/performance]
New Waste Paper Opera show abstracts, with love at Nuffield Theatre, Lancaster
21 June
[composition/performance]
All the Whistlers performance with Aliaskar Abarkas at CAPC, Bordeaux
19 April
[composition/performance]
Dead Cat Bounce performance with Waste Paper Opera at Eastside Projects, Birmingham
7 April
[composition/performance]
Performance of songs and comedy at The Piper, St. Leonards
11 March
[composition/performance]
Performance of Jeremiah + Assassins scenes from Dead Cat Bounce for Resonance FM takeover at Cafe OTO, London
9 February
[composition/performance]
Free to Choose at Open Lab #03 at Matadero, Madrid
18 November 2023 – 24 March 2024
[composition/screening]
Free to Choose at Taipei Biennial, Taiwan
11 January
[composition/performance]
Live performance of Free to Choose at Iklectik
2023
3 December[composition/performance]
New devised work with Waste Paper Opera Chorus wearing Moina Moin’s sculptures at Lewisham Arthouse, London
22 November
[performance]
Performing Anytime Return by Milo Thesiger-Meacham at Iklectik, London
29 September
[original music]
Premiere of The Tourist by Gary Zhexi Zhang at Art Gallery of York University (AGyu), Toronto
15 August
[composition/performance]
Performance of new improvised set with Martin Thomlinson at Somers Gallery for the opening of Anna Suwalowska’s exhibition Psychogical Landscapes Journey Within as part of Camden Inspire, London
28 July
[composition]
Performance of 10 Songs of Limited Context by Paul Zaba at AMOK, Artefact, Birmingham
19 July
[composition/screening]
Screening of Free to Choose by Bahar Noorizadeh at Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
4 July
[performance]
Performance of Somewhere Beautiful by Natacha Diels with Plus Minus Ensemble at Cafe Oto, London
26 June
[composition]
Performance of 10 Songs of Limited Context by Paul Zaba at Depot 48, Dehli
23 June
[composition/screening]
Screening of Free to Choose by Bahar Noorizadeh at Beirut Art Center, Beirut
21 June
[composition]
Performance of 10 Songs of Limited Context by Paul Zaba at Bangalore International Centre, Dehli
5-27 May
[performance]
Performances of HOUSECONCERT with Object Collection at The Brick Theater, New York
23 May
[composition/performance]
Performance of solo routine for Salon at Brick Aux, New York
4 May
[composition/screening]
Screening of Free to Choose by Bahar Noorizadeh at Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
14-15 April
[performance]
Performances of HOUSECONCERT with Object Collection at Indexical, Santa Cruz
13 April
[performance]
Performances of HOUSECONCERT with Object Collection at Stanford University, California
30 March
[performance]
Launch of Anat Ben-David’s Conversations EP, London
16-17 March
[performance]
Performances of HOUSECONCERT with Object Collection at Cafe Oto, London
9 March
[workshop]
Waste Paper Opera workshop Create the World at Central Saint Martins, London
1 March
[workshop]
Waste Paper Opera workshop series Approaches to New Music Theatre: time, space, movement – Session 4: Bodies, budgets and things on stage in opera at London Performance Studios, London
22 February
[workshop]
Waste Paper Opera workshop series Approaches to New Music Theatre: time, space, movement – Session 3: Continuity and Discontinuity: History and Musical Timing at London Performance Studios, London
17 February
[composition/performance]
New work at AMOK at Artefact Projects, Birmingham
15 February
[workshop]
Waste Paper Opera workshop series Approaches to New Music Theatre: time, space, movement – Session 2: Immovable Dramaturgical Objects: working with physical and ephemeral structures at London Performance Studios, London
8 February
[workshop]
Waste Paper Opera workshop series Approaches to New Music Theatre: time, space, movement – Session 1: Language and Music on Stage at London Performance Studios, London
29 January
[composition/performance]
Radio performance of extracts of Dead Cat Bounce and new material on Resonance Extra, live from Resonance Extra project space, London
2022
12 December
[performance/clown]
Live performance of Good Soup with Ensmeble Molière at NCEM, York
13 October
[performance]
Video performance in Neil Luck’s Whatever Weighs You Down, peformed live at Cafe OTO, London
[performance]
Video performance in Neil Luck’s Whatever Weighs You Down, peformed live at Cafe OTO, London
6 October
[screening/composition]
Online screening of Dead Cat Bounce on As We Leave The Window Open, Basel
29 September
[screening/composotion]
Open Rehearsal with Anat Ben-David and Sean Ashton. Sharing film of our recent collaborative work Backwater. At Somerset House, London
16 September
[performance/composition]
New solo bit at cabaret night Seen Any Monsters Lately? at Anzengruberin, Berlin
11 September
[Performance]
Neil Luck’s Whatever Weighs You Down at Guadeamus Musikweek, Utrecht
16 August
[performance/composition]
New solo bit at art-comedy night SEAMONSTERS - NEW CAR SMELL EDITION, London
29 July
[performance]
Good Soup with Ensemble Moliere at Sands Films, London
14 July
[performance/composition]
Dead Cat Bounce with Waste Paper Opera at Somerset House, London
3 July
[perfomance]
Clint solo set, alongside Lisa and the F.I.X. and Judy Brush at Fox and Firkin, London
[screening/composition]
Online screening of Dead Cat Bounce on As We Leave The Window Open, Basel
29 September
[screening/composotion]
Open Rehearsal with Anat Ben-David and Sean Ashton. Sharing film of our recent collaborative work Backwater. At Somerset House, London
16 September
[performance/composition]
New solo bit at cabaret night Seen Any Monsters Lately? at Anzengruberin, Berlin
11 September
[Performance]
Neil Luck’s Whatever Weighs You Down at Guadeamus Musikweek, Utrecht
16 August
[performance/composition]
New solo bit at art-comedy night SEAMONSTERS - NEW CAR SMELL EDITION, London
29 July
[performance]
Good Soup with Ensemble Moliere at Sands Films, London
14 July
[performance/composition]
Dead Cat Bounce with Waste Paper Opera at Somerset House, London
3 July
[perfomance]
Clint solo set, alongside Lisa and the F.I.X. and Judy Brush at Fox and Firkin, London
19 June
[performance/talk/online]
Eratic Objects: a lecture-performance on musical interruptions at Music Since 1900 conference, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham
[performance/talk/online]
Eratic Objects: a lecture-performance on musical interruptions at Music Since 1900 conference, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham
17-26 June
[performance]
Performances of Look Out Shithead, Episode 3 with Object Collection at La MaMa, New York
[performance]
Performances of Look Out Shithead, Episode 3 with Object Collection at La MaMa, New York
6 May
[installation/performance/composition]
Dead Cat Bounce installation with 8.2 surround sound at Open Lab, Matadero, Madrid
[installation/performance/composition]
Dead Cat Bounce installation with 8.2 surround sound at Open Lab, Matadero, Madrid