‘Do we have a show for you? Yes, we have got a show for you!’

Abstract

This article engages with received assumptions about the inherently radical nature of 'performance'. It identifies three moments of performance that depict sexual harassment or sexually motivated violence to inform the content of the piece. The article considers the premise that the cited performances by GETINTHEBACKOFTHEVAN, Forced Entertainment and Ontoerend Goed are 'postmodern' and that the representation of sexual harassment is 'ironic'. It draws upon Claire Colebrook's work to argue that the deconstructive potential is compromised because it is only legible to those with appropriate semiotic expertise. The article argues that only one of the three case studies succeeds in representing sexual harassment as harmful and oppressive.