Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s lawyers are understood to have requested a comedy club reimburse them $10,000 after her legal counsel had shut down a musical performance that was set to be based on her journey at to the 2024 Paris Games.
The performance, which was entitled Raygun the Musical, was written by comedian Stephanie Broadbridge and was due to take place at Kinselas in Darlinghurst on December 7.
The show was canned at the last minute after Raygun’s lawyers had requested organisers shut the performance down due to an intellectual property dispute.
The musical was set to depict the breakdancer’s Olympic journey over a 90-minute show and featured original songs including ‘You May Be A B-Girl But You’ll Always Be An A Girl To Me’ and ‘I Would Have Won But I Pulled A Muscle’.
It was first understood that Raygun’s lawyers had shut down the performance in a bid to protect their client’s ‘intellectual property’ and to ensure ‘her brand remains strong and respected’.
The Sydney Morning Herald revealed the contents of the letter on Wednesday which had been sent to Darlinghurst’s iD Comedy Club owner Anthony Skinner, who had been requested to front their legal fees.
Rachel ‘Raygun’ Gunn’s lawyers are understood to have requested a comedy club reimburse them $10,000
The performance, which was entitled Raygun the Musical, was written by comedian Stephanie Broadbridge (pictured) and was due to take place at Kinselas in Darlinghurst on December 7
Raygun’s legal team had shut down the show, which had already sold 70 tickets and was based on her Olympic journey
Skinner, who was outraged by the letter, had planned to send the proceeds from the show to a women’s shelter, having made a profit of $500 from the sale of 70 tickets.
Skinner had offered to pay Raygun $500 in compensation, which the lawyers rejected during the letter.
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Gunn’s intellectual property includes her ‘story, personal history, Olympics videos and choreography.’
The letter included multiple ‘absolute undertakings’ that Skinner was required to complete. One such clause included a request that read: ‘You will reimburse our client with legal costs to date which we estimate to be $10,000.’
Skinner was left baffled by the letter, telling The Age: ‘When they sent that $10,000 letter, I was like: “You’re f***ing joking”.
‘I’m thinking about studying law myself now!
‘The average person has no idea about any of this stuff. It seems that they’re just sort of using that to their advantage and trying to get people to crumble. I think they think my comedy business is more successful than it is.’
Skinner claimed paying the legal fees could bankrupt his business.
The Olympian had offered an explanation over the decision to shut down the musical
‘People should know that this sort of bulls*** is going on – trying to take 10 grand out of a business whose whole purpose is just to support comedians.’
He added: ‘If anyone wants to help that would be great. Legal stuff’s not really our forte. We just make people laugh.’
Raygun has offered an explanation on the decision to shut down the show during a social media post on Friday last week.
‘People had assumed that we had developed it, that we had approved it and it damaged many relationships both personal and professional,’ she said.
‘This is why my management team and legal team had to work so quickly to shut the musical down.
‘It was really unfortunate the show had to be cancelled so close to the launch.
‘I know the artist would have put a lot of work into it and that really sucks.
‘Had we known about it sooner, there could have been a different outcome.’
She added that the decision was not made over not ‘being able to take a joke’.
‘I really do strive to support creativity and have loved the ways my performance has sparked so many different artistic interpretations and there was so many fantastic memes that were clever, and funny and creative,’ she said.
Broadbridge had issued a funny response to Raygun’s lawyers on social media
‘I have a whole folder of them on my phone so not being able to take a joke is not what the issue here.’
Broadbridge had previously offered an apology to the Olympian while speaking on Channel 10’s The project.
‘If you’re watching I just want to say I’m really sorry for any negativity that you might have received as a result of this,’ Broadbridge said in an address to Raygun.
‘I can promise you that was not my intention. This was supposed to be me trying to make you feel like the icon that I believe you can be in Australia.
