“`html
In the program note for Tell Me, its creator Sadiq Ali shares that 2025 was the year he might have been expected to die of AIDS-related complications, where it not for advances in medicine. Now, he is thriving, physically strong, and performing aerial work with a Chinese pole.
Ali is also a successful artist; his previous show, The Chosen Haram, received five-star reviews. He has recently launched his own circus/theater company, and Tell Me is their latest production. The work centers on a woman living with an HIV diagnosis, a subject still facing stigma and misunderstanding, particularly outside the LGBTQ+ community. While the topic is deeply personal to Ali, he intentionally positions Phoebe Knight as the protagonist, alongside himself and Jonah Russell. Together, they utilize a versatile set of cube-shaped frames – functioning as both poles and trapezes – to tell a compelling story and evoke strong emotions.
The performance contrasts the present day with the 1980s, recreating the fear and shame surrounding the emergence of AIDS and the heartbreaking rejection experienced by those diagnosed. Originally conceived as an outdoor performance, premiering at the Norfolk and Norwich Festival in 2023 , the showS transition to a black box theatre enhances its darker atmosphere.
Related reading