How can something arise from nothing? This philosophical question is the starting point of Trajal Harrell’s production «Monkey off my back or the Cat's Meow». Dancers and actors from the Schauspielhaus Zürich enter an unending catwalk, generating a fascinating collection of colourful characters who are continuously changing their clothes and transforming. In addition to repetitive and choreographically determined paths through the space, there are encounters, constellations and formations that appear random and unforeseen. Notions of something and nothing are thus made to strike a balance of equals. This makes «Monkey off my back or the Cat’s Meow» a fascinating piece, examining and invoking the potential and the powers of the body, between historical references and pop culture, between everyday gestures, social patterns and poses.