By Mary Ward
An Australian comedian has been forced to cancel her show inspired by Paris 2024 breaker Rachael Gunn, better known as Raygun, after the Olympian’s representatives issued legal threats.
Raygun: The Musical was due to debut at Kinselas in Sydney’s Darlinghurst on Saturday evening, before performances scheduled for 2025 at comedy festivals in Sydney, Melbourne and Edinburgh.
Steph Broadbridge cancelled her show based on the breaking of Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun.Credit: Steven Siewert
But comedian Steph Broadbridge canned Saturday’s performance after Gunn’s lawyers sent several letters to the show’s promoter, iD Comedy Club, asking them to cancel the show and not use the name “Raygun” or the athlete’s now famous “kangaroo dance”, as both were Gunn’s intellectual property.
Gunn applied to trademark the name “Raygun” in August. The application remains under examination, however, the government agency that issues trademarks published an “adverse report” in October functionally knocking back the claim.
However, Gunn does have a trademark on a silhouette image of her performing the kangaroo dance, which was accepted on November 15 and is awaiting publication. This trademark was filed on September 25, the day Broadbridge first promoted her musical on Instagram.
In a statement, Gunn’s management, Born Bred Talent, said it was “committed to protecting her intellectual property and ensuring that her brand remains strong and respected” and anticipated the trademarks would soon be registered.
“In addition to the application, Rachael holds significant common law rights and goodwill in her stage name ‘Raygun’, further strengthening her position,” they said.
Billed as “a parody exploration of a breakdancer’s journey to the 2024 Paris Olympics”, Raygun: The Musical followed the story of Gunn, the Sydney academic whose quirky performance representing Australia in breaking became one of the most viral moments from the Games.
Gunn’s team said it had come to their attention that the use of Raygun by Broadbridge had “caused confusion among the public, potentially leading them to believe [the musical] had Rachael’s endorsement or approval”.
“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.
Rachael Gunn’s kangaroo dance silhouette has been accepted as a trademark. Credit: IP Australia
“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.”
Saturday’s show was a trial performance for Broadbridge’s family and friends. Tickets were $10 and would have raised money for the Women’s & Girls’ Emergency Centre in Sydney’s inner city, but the comedian said sales would be refunded.
Broadbridge said she still intended to put the show on, with adjustments, next year.
She also said she remained a fan of Raygun and how she handled herself in the face of an internet storm. Broadbridge said she felt empathy for the online abuse Gunn has suffered. In 2023, the comedian experienced severe trolling when a clip of her remaining stony-faced as a male comedian read jokes as part of a “try not to laugh” challenge went viral.
“It is a piss-take, but it’s done with love,” Broadbridge told this masthead in an interview promoting the musical. “You like her at the end, and she wins.”
Raygun’s performance at the Paris Olympics went viral on social media.Credit: Getty
Broadbridge responded further to the legal threats on Instagram, posting a video on Saturday, and vowed the show would return with a “whole new story arc to add”.
“Hi I’m comedian Steph Broadbridge, just hanging out in my casual day wear,” she said in the post, dressed in the Australian tracksuit worn by Raygun.
“They [Gunn’s lawyers] were worried that I was damaging her brand, which I would never do. She doesn’t need me to do that.”
Regarding the trademarking of the kangaroo dance, she said: “That one did puzzle me. I mean that’s an Olympic-level dance. How would I possibly be able to do that without any formal breakdancing training?”
“I will be changing the name of the character to Raygun with an ‘I’,” she said at the end of the post.
“So I hope that fixes everybody’s concerns.”
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