Nine Sixteenths Tickets - London
In the halftime show finale of the 2004 Super Bowl, 23-year-old Justin Timberlake ripped off his 37-year-old co-star, Janet Jackson’s top, and exposed her breast on screen for nine sixteenths of a second. Being a role model for many Black women, a pop icon, and an outspoken ally for the LGBTQ community, the moment derailed Jackson’s career for years afterwards, while Timberlake's went from strength to strength.
But if we scratch beneath the surface, who was actually invested in the backlash? What does it have to say about the demographics of the people controlling the media - and how Black women are scrutinised when in the public eye?
Nine Sixteenths invites you on a journey through 3 acts that explore THE MALFUNCTION, THE AFTERMATH, and eventually, a celebration of RECLAMATION.
Using nostalgia for the early ’00s, this fascinating production at Brixton House explores themes of representation and pop culture with the hopes and dreams of 4 Black female performers through a variety of visual theatre, dance, and lip sync.
Devised by Paula Varjack, Pauline Mayers, Julienne Doko, Chia Phoenix, and Endy McKay.