INSIDE GIOVANNI’S ROOM

Sadler’s Wells East

★★★★★

“every scene resonates with emotional clarity and artistic cohesion”

Step into the haunting beauty of Inside Giovanni’s Room, a full-length dance production by Phoenix Dance Theatre that is both visceral and achingly melancholic. Inspired by James Baldwin’s seminal novel, this performance is a masterful exploration of identity, longing, and repression, brought to life through powerful movement and evocative staging.

The dancers, deeply attuned to the emotional core of the story, deliver a breathtaking interpretation of David’s inner turmoil and fragmented desires. The choreography unspools like a confession, intimate and urgent, drawing the audience into the shadows of 1950s Paris, where love and shame collide.

A standout element of this production is its immersive use of lighting (Luke Haywood) and sound (music composition Marc Strobel). The stage becomes a psychological landscape, music swells like memory, while light casts long silhouettes that echo the characters’ internal battles. The interplay of shadow and form adds a poignant layer, underscoring the fragility of truth in a world bound by societal constraints.

Teige Bisnought delivers a deeply moving performance as David, embodying the character’s conflict with raw sensitivity. Dorna Ashory is equally compelling as Hella, David’s girlfriend, capturing the quiet ache of a love built on silence and misunderstanding.
The narrative, set against the backdrop of homophobia in mid-century Paris, unfolds with grace and urgency, never didactic, always human.

Special recognition goes to Marcus Jarrell Willis, artistic director of Phoenix Dance Theatre, whose visionary direction ensures every scene resonates with emotional clarity and artistic cohesion. Melissa Parry’s costume design is also remarkable, capturing the era with elegance and authenticity, while seamlessly supporting the physicality of the dancers.

Inside Giovanni’s Room is more than a performance, it’s a powerful meditation on identity, shame, and the universal desire to be seen and loved. A triumph in every sense.

INSIDE GIOVANNI’S ROOM

★★★★★

Sadler’s Wells East

INSIDE GIOVANNI’S ROOM

Sadler’s Wells East

★★★★★

“every scene resonates with emotional clarity and artistic cohesion”