Dance: Body and soul

Phoenix Dance Theatre
Inside Giovanni’s Room
choreography Marcus Jarrell Willis
with Teige Bisnought, Dylan Springer, Dorna Ashory, Aaron Chaplin, Tony Polo, Phikolwethu Luke, Yasmina Patel, Hannah McGlashon, Graciela Mariqueo-Smith, Jess Yeo, Maddie Irwin
dramaturgy Tonderai Munyebvu
music Marc Strobel • set Jacob Hughes
lighting Luke Haywood • costumes Melissa Parry
Sadler's Wells East, Stratford • 11-14.Jun.25 ★★★★★

James Baldwin's landmark 1956 novel Giovanni's Room is the inspiration for this beautifully staged production, which like the book explores issues of identity, sexuality and self-acceptance in a powerfully emotive way. While the story is set in 1950s Paris, its themes resonate in a timeless way, expressed by gifted dancers here through strikingly inventive and very physical choreography. And while it helps to know the plot in advance, the internal feelings are so vividly expressed that they connect in an intense way.

An American in Paris, David (Teige Bisnought) falls for Hella (Dorna Ashory) even as he's secretly keeping an eye on the men around him. When Hella goes travelling, he meets Giovanni (Dylan Springer) in a dance club, and they zero in on each other amid distractions. As they become inseparable, they keep their relationship hidden in Giovanni's rented room. But Hella's return throws things off balance, and further events push these three people in unexpected directions.

The story opens with a prologue that sets out the story through David's swirling memories, and there are also flashbacks to scenes with his father (Phikolwethu Luke) and aunt (Yasmina Patel) back home. Transitions cleverly create cinematic style editing, using lighting and shadows to shift the viewer's eye around the stage, which is dominated by the cube of Giovanni's room. Performances emerge in solos, duets and eye-catching group numbers, and all of these are infused with enormous passion by the dancers. Bisnought, Springer and Ashory are particularly strong, throwing themselves into demanding roles that require extended stretches, full-bodied shivers and connections that shift from aching desire to warm affection.

While the movement is visceral and propulsive, the dancers remain light on their feet. The gravitational pull between them is beautifully rendered, especially as David and Giovanni lift each other in spiralling turns. Their moments of intimacy are both elegant and sweat-inducingly hot. This is accompanied by creative lighting that comes from the sides and above, making each figure glow while casting shadows on the walls. And the room itself undulates in a red wash. Marc Strobel's music often feels more like an eloquent soundscape, with whooshes and beats that resolve into the dance numbers. And then there's Ashory's stunning, completely silent solo.

Throughout all of this, there's an unusually strong sense that each of these complex characters is daring to dream something that might be impossible, going against society's expectations. So when the narrative takes a few very dark turns, the impact is fierce, leading to a climax that is properly wrenching. This is a gorgeous interpretation of a literary classic, and it reminds us that feelings of identity and belonging are universally human. And even if the barriers and obstacles have shifted over the past 70 years, these feelings drive society in ways that have remained eerily unchanged.

For details, PHOENIX DANCE THEATRE >

photos by Drew Forsyth • 11.Jun.25