REVIEW: Tell Me – Sadiq Ali Company at The Place, London 23 & 24 January 2026

‘visually striking work’ ★★★ ½ 

Tell Me is a visually arresting and physically demanding piece that sits at the intersection of circus, dance and autobiographical performance. Created and performed by Sadiq Ali Company, the work explores life after an HIV diagnosis through Chinese pole, aerial work and movement-led storytelling.

The production is immediately striking. A red square structure moves across the stage, constantly reconfiguring the space and offering shifting perspectives on the performer’s inner world. Lighting and haze are used boldly, at times overwhelming, but largely effective in evoking emotional intensity and disorientation.

The physical skill on display is undeniable. The work draws on Chinese pole, an ancient acrobatic form with roots in Chinese circus traditions, distinct from contemporary pole dance. This lineage gives the movement a sense of ritual, endurance and physical labour. The movement vocabulary is expansive and confident, and the performer’s stamina and technical ability are impressive throughout.

While the emotional intention is clear, the storytelling sometimes feels loosely connected to the physical material. Certain sections—particularly in the latter part of the show—could benefit from tightening, as the pacing begins to slow and the narrative thread becomes less focused. Although the Chinese pole work is technically impressive, its relationship to the subject matter is not always fully articulated, at times functioning more as spectacle than as a vehicle for emotional or dramaturgical depth.

That said, Tell Me addresses an urgently important subject. In a cultural moment where conversations around HIV have become quieter or flattened by medical narratives, this work re-centres lived experience, vulnerability and resilience. The piece does not sensationalise its subject; instead, it invites the audience to sit with complexity, intimacy and endurance. Overall, Tell Me is a bold and visually striking work that showcases exceptional physical performance and an ambitious artistic vision.

Photography by Alberto Santos Bellido

Sadiq Ali Company and Ockham’s Razor, presented as part of MimeLondon (23 JAN – 1 FEB) at The Place

Box Office

https://theplace.org.uk/whats-on

Mime London https://mimelondon.com/sadiq-ali-tell-me-2026/sadliq-ali-company-tell-me-420/