Red Bus Londinium Life

Founded over 40 years ago by three young Black British men, Leeds-based Phoenix Dance Theatre  presents Inside Giovanni’s Room at Sadler’s Wells East as part of a UK tour. 

The show is a sensual, mesmerisingly rhythmic and emotional retelling of the James Baldwin novel, Giovanni’s Room.

American writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin, born in 1924 in Harlem, New York, was a trailblazer whose voice reshaped 20th-century literature. Widely regarded as one of the era’s most influential writers, he pushed boundaries – despite warnings that his portrayal of same-sex relationships might jeopardise his career.

Baldwin’ ground-breaking 1956 novel Giovanni’s Room, is set in Paris and explores themes of sexual orientation, guilt, and societal expectations. Choreographer and Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre, Marcus Jarrell Willis admires Baldwin for being “unapologetic about who he was and what he had to say”. To mark Baldwin’s 100th birthday, he has transposed the story onto stage in a narrative dance piece that reflects on its timeless themes.  

For me, as a lover of the book, choreographer Willis and Dramaturg Tonderai Munyebvu provide a retelling that is faithful to the original in both emotion and story. My daughter, who had not read it, found the meaning clear and noted the themes of questioning and guilt came through especially distinctly.

The set design by Jacob Hughes, is made up two boxes. The larger is used to great effect with shadows (Lighting Design – Luke Haywood) playing on the walls, the smaller represents Giovanni’s room. Seated to one side, this did mean that some of the details further back in Giovanni’s room could not be seen but the design was effective at portraying claustrophobia and intimacy.

Teige Bisnought as David and Dylan Springer as Giovanni, deliver a muscular, erotically charged duet that simmers with lust and tension. After the interval, the production’s use of sharp blackouts punctuated by a series of tableaux is particularly striking, showcasing the dancers’ remarkable command over both physical precision and emotional nuance. Springer’s final dance – a haunting echo of the opening sequence – is frantic, powerful, and almost unbearable to witness.

In his pursuit of conventional acceptance, David has encounters with women, including his betrothed Hella. Hella (Dorna Ashory)’s presence onstage is initially stylised. Perhaps this abstraction reflects David’s inability to truly connect with her as a person rather than a social role. When the engagement fractures, this abstraction remains and deprives Ashory of the opportunity to embrace the emotional depth of such a rupture.

The ensemble performs with cohesion and synchronicity. The frenetic rhythm of American streets is evoked with quick, angular gestures around an imagined grid shape. In contrast, we are drawn into the slow, dreamlike haze of Parisian clubs as the dancers melt into one another with a fluid, almost drowsy motion, capturing the altered pulse of the different city.

Phoenix director Willis believes it’s vital to “inform people about great black artists that they might not know of and celebrate their unrecognised contributions to the world.” This production not only powerfully introduces James Baldwin to new audiences – who may be struck by the ongoing relevance of his work – but does so through electrifying dance that channels his spirit with intensity.

[Thank you to Sadler’s Wells East who provided gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. Co-reviewed with my daughter.]