Inside Giovanni's Room. Photo Drew ForsythPhoenix Theatre company (founded in 1981 by three black contemporary male dancers from the Chapeltown area of Leeds), has developed a significant reputation for its exploration of multicultural subject matter. Here, in the hands of choreographer Marcus Jarrell Willis, the company of dancers mark the 100th anniversary of Baldwin’s birth, through the creation and performance of this heartrending dance piece based on his novel.
On Jacob Hughes’ simple open set, (save for the frame of a room positioned centre stage), the dancers rotate key roles at each performance. Central to events is David (Aaron Chaplin) a young black American who we first encounter with his disengaged Father (Teige Bisnought) and sophisticated Aunt Ellen (Yasmina Patel). In Paris, he is introduced to the vibrant, bohemian lifestyle and soon becomes swept up in the dancing and romance of the city.
David’s first encounter with Giovanni (Tony Polo) comes at the latter’s place of work where he is a bartender. They discern a mutual attraction despite David’s seeming confusion and reticence. Others around them include, Guillaume (Dylan Springer) as Giovanni’s jealous and sidelined suitor and their mutual friend Jacques (Phikolwethu Luke) who acts to calm a sequence of fractious interactions which culminate in a death. Into this volatile mix, is added a gentle but emotionally naive dalliance with a young woman Hella (Hannah McGlashon) who is swept-up in a romantic and idealised notion of love. When David and Giovanni finally enter Giovanni’s Room and give full expression to their attraction and desire, David is overcome by the weight of societal opprobrium. He feels compelled to reject his yearnings and embark on an elopement with Hella, whilst knowing that merely wishing to reject any notion of homosexuality does not make it so. When she accidentally discovers this side to his nature she rejects him utterly.
On the night I saw the show (with that evening's cast revolve indicated above), there was a discernible unfamiliarity with some aspects which added an element of jeopardy and innocence to the overall piece. Key observations include the striking line and artistry in Ms Patel’s Aunt Ellen, the sharp virtuosity of Phikolwethu Luke’s Jacques and Hannah McGlashon’s technical brilliance in the be-capped company numbers which eclipsed her more ethereal efforts in the doomed lovers sequences.
Sadler’s Wells East is located amidst the epicentre of London 2012 Olympics legacy regeneration. The new building contains an impressively state of the art facility next to the London Aquatic Centre and within hailing distance of West Ham’s Stadium. The auditorium itself holds seating for 550 patrons with a further 6 studios around the complex. There is also an inviting bar/restaurant space with outdoor seating.
INSIDE GIOVANNI’S ROOM plays until Saturday 14 June at Sadler’s Wells East.
