Breakdancer Rachael Gunn’s legal team has shut down a Raygun-inspired musical ahead of its Sydney premiere.
The creator of Raygun: The Musical, comedian Steph Broadbridge, confirmed on social media the show had been cancelled after receiving notice from lawyers, adding, “We will be back soon and with a whole new story arc to add.”
“They were worried I was damaging her brand, which I would never do,” she said in a video shared to Instagram.
Gunn, a university lecturer with a PhD in cultural studies, went viral in August for her unconventional moves at the Paris Olympics, which failed to receive a point from the judges and led to her being knocked out at the round-robin stage.
She announced her retirement from the sport last month due to the scrutiny, saying continuing to compete “seems a really difficult thing for me to do”.
Through the negativity, there were also positives. Singer Adele described Gunn’s performance as her “favourite thing that has happened in the Olympics” midway through a concert in Munich during the Games.
Raygun: The Musical was advertised as a “parody exploration” of the breakdancer’s journey to the Olympics, with musical songs including You May Be a B-girl But You’ll Always Be an A-girl To Me, I’m Breaking Down and I Would Have Won But I Pulled a Muscle.
The show, which was to debut at Kinselas on Sydney’s Oxford Street on Saturday, was donating all proceeds to the Women’s and Girl’s Emergency Centre.
Broadbridge said a $10 refund would be issued to all ticket holders who had been booked to attend the event, assuring theatregoers the show would go on at a later date.
“They were very concerned that people would think that Rachael Gunn was affiliated with the musical,” she said in her video, which amassed thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.
“I want to assure everyone that she will not be part of the show. She’s very welcome to come; I would love for her to see it.”
Broadbridge said the B-girl’s legal team had instructed her against doing the kangaroo dance because Gunn “owns” it.
“That one did puzzle me - I mean, that’s an Olympic-level dance,” she said.
“How would I possibly be able to do that without any formal breakdancing training?
“Anyway, to alleviate the concerns of Raygun’s lawyers, I will be changing the name of the character to Raygun with an I. So I hope that fixes everyone’s concerns.”
In a statement, Gunn’s legal and management team said it was committed to protecting her intellectual property and ensuring that her brand remained strong and respected.
“While we have immense respect for the credible work and effort that has gone into the development of the show, we must take necessary steps to safeguard Rachael’s creative rights and the integrity of her work,” they said.
“This action is not intended to diminish the contributions of others, but rather to ensure her brand is properly represented and protected in all future endeavours.”
They confirmed the trademark application for “Raygun” was currently under examination and anticipated that it would soon be officially registered.
“The use of the ‘Raygun’ name by a comedian without approval has caused confusion among the public, potentially leading them to believe that ‘Raygun The Musical’ had Rachael’s endorsement or approval,” they said.
“This misuse of intellectual property is not only misleading but also jeopardises Rachael’s other commercial ventures, which rely on the integrity of her brand.”
