Creators: Sadiq Ali, Phoebe Knight and Jonah Russell
It’s a simple, modern set: red interlocking metal cube frames against a black background. One is suspended from the ceiling, and a larger one sits on the ground. Look closely, and there are more: a smaller one in the background, a bigger one in the foreground. And, as the dance begins to unfurl and reveal itself, we see a smaller red handheld cube passed between the three performers: Sadiq Ali, the Artistic Director, Phoebe Knight and Jonah Russell.
A hot new talent on the contemporary dance scene. Ali develops and devises queer, intersectional narratives that bring fresh relevance to traditional forms of performance, including aerial skills, gymnastics and contemporary dance. His debut, The Chosen Haram, explored sexuality and faith through traditional circus skills. In Tell Me, his second piece, produced by Turtle Key Arts, we take a deeply personal journey through the experience of Ali being diagnosed with HIV.
Reflecting on the fact that this diagnosis would once have been a death sentence, the first devised piece from the Sadiq Ali Company recreates a narrative journey, through a woman navigating a HIV diagnosis, through a spectrum of feelings, movements and fragments of scenes. From the unbridled love, joy and experimentation of a pre-HIV life, to a state of vulnerability and cautious reality, it’s brave, honest and compelling.
The dynamic cubes that spin, turn, interlock, rise and fall evoke an array of images and possibilities. At certain points, the frame recalls paintings of despair by Francis Bacon with a single body inside. At others, they become the structures of hedonistic nightclubs, the dancers inside pulsate with life and energy.
Through the impressive, physical feats of Chinese Pole and Aerial Artistry, this one-hour display of strength and stamina sees the performers push at the boundaries of their own and each other’s bodies, utilising every part of the set and space. As the dancers leap, tumble, and scale poles like airborne creatures, they defy gravity and make the whole idea of circus performance a very cool proposition indeed.
Despite medical advancements in recent decades, Tell Me expresses the conflict, prejudice and bigotry that can still be experienced by those living with HIV, alongside inner feelings of shame, fear and self-loathing. The narrative arc sees a slow reflective finish that doesn’t match the high energy of the beginning, but given the theme of the piece, this is a thoughtful, mature choice that leaves a hopeful space for the audience to consider and interpret what they’ve witnessed. Visually arresting and thought-provoking, Tell Me bodes well for the future of this newly formed company.
Runs until 24 January 2026 and continues to tour
