A powerful exploration of media, representation, and resilience through a lens of early 2000s pop culture.
Nine Sixteenths takes a theatrical journey through the infamous 2004 Super Bowl halftime show incident when a brief wardrobe malfunction — Janet Jackson’s exposed breast visible for nine sixteenths of a second — altered the trajectory of her career. The production examines who benefited from and who was scrutinised by the ensuing media backlash, centring the experiences and aspirations of four Black female performers across three thematic acts: THE MALFUNCTION, THE AFTERMATH and RECLAMATION.
The devised piece was created by Paula Varjack, alongside Pauline Mayers, Julienne Doko, Chia Phoenix and Endy McKay, with dramaturgical contributions from Martin Bengtsson and Louise Orwin. The production integrates elements of dance, lip sync and visual theatre, incorporating British Sign Language throughout.
Directed by Emily Aboud, the creative team features movement direction by Pauline Mayers, set and costume by Shahaf Beer, lighting by Lucy Adams and sound design by AJ Turner.
