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Two timelines collide in this bold fusion of dance and circus offering a fresh perspective on HIV. When Grace receives a diagnosis, she is transported back to the 80s, alongside Michael, a gay man navigating a very different reality. Their journeys unfold through striking choreography, Chinese pole and aerial artistry.
Sadiq Ali Company, makers of five-star, award winning The Chosen Haram return to the Fringe with their new show Tell Me, part of the Made in Scotland showcase.
This highly physical performance draws from the lived experience of director Sadiq Ali, both a circus artist and HIV activist, who creates work that is emotionally raw and visually spectacular. Tell Me explores what it means to carry a secret that feels too heavy to speak aloud, and the power of bringing that truth into the light.
Hypnotic, human and deeply moving, Tell Me confronts outdated perceptions and offers audiences a fresh perspective on HIV - one rooted in resilience, courage, beauty and possibility.
For more information and support on the issues explored in this piece, please visit the below websites:
- Waverley Care – Scotland’s HIV and Hepatitis C Charity, our charity partner for the Fringe
- Positively UK – support with diagnosis, care and life with HIV
- Find Your Four – guidance to live well with HIV
CREDITS:
CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM
Performed and devised by
Sadiq Ali
Phoebe Knight
Jonah Russell
Artistic Director – Sadiq Ali
Dramaturg – Rishi Trikha
Production Manager – Bryn Jones
Rigger & Stage Manager – Hauk Pattison
Sound Design – Guy Veale
Lighting Design – Jamie Heseltine
Costume Design – Aslı Özüak
Choreography Consultants – Jonathan Lunn, Junior Cunningham
Associate Director – Hauk Pattison
PR – Chloé Nelkin Consulting
Digital Marketing – Serden Salih
Producer – Niamh Hanns (Turtle Key Arts)
Executive Producer – Shaun Dawson (Turtle Key Arts)
Research and development contributions from Alex Harvey (Ockham’s Razor), Amir Hosseinpour, Carina Simões, Felix Fogg, Gabbie Cook, Jean-Daniel Broussé, Mavin Khoo and Mila Sanders.
In association with Summerhall Arts. Tell Me is funded by Creative Scotland, Made in Scotland, Arts Council England and the Abderrahim Crickmay Charitable Settlement. Supported by Without Walls and commissioned by the Lowry, Norfolk and Norwich Festival, Inspirate, Certain Blacks and Stockton International Riverside Festival. The R&D for Tell Me was supported by Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund. Tell Me was rehearsed and created with space provided by Summerhall Arts, Imagineer, 101 Outdoor Arts and National Centre for Circus Arts.
HAVE YOU EVER HELD A SECRET SO HEAVY IT FELT LIKE IT COULD BREAK THE WORLD?
I am humbled to welcome each of you to this performance of Tell Me; to invite you into a moment of collective journey and connection that only feels possible in spaces like these. Through circus I found a language for expressing things I never knew I needed to share, and with this new work l have tried to achieve something both deeply personal and socially resonant.
Without the modern advancements in medication, 2025 would have been the year I was expected to die from HIV/AIDS-related complications. That’s quite wild to think about. Instead, I present Tell Me: a new performance work telling the story of Grace as she receives a diagnosis, reflects on the past, and grapples with the shadows it casts upon the present.
We all know what it feels like to hold something that feels shameful, a secret we have been taught to hide. It is time to shine a light and affirm that every person’s worth is unconditional, regardless of diagnosis. From inside of queer communities it can be easy to forget about the continued ignorance, stigma and shame surrounding HIV. It's easy to forget that there continues to be a great deal of bigotry towards those with an HIV diagnosis. Despite medical advances, the shame that separates us from our bodies and the people we desire or love remains. But it’s not serving us. It never did. I believe circus has a distinct power for telling what is, ultimately, a story about extraordinary human bodies.
I love this space and what I have found here. The people I have the honour to work alongside not only bring me fulfilment and purpose; they are my lifeline. I extend a little bit of love and gratitude towards each of you for opening your hearts and minds with us. and hope that you enjoy this show. It has taken a lot of lives lived, loved and lost to be at this point together, a fork in the road - it feels like where past and present collide and leaves me with the questions: What have we learned and where do we go from here? Until then though join me in this present moment, the only true moment we ever have together.
Sadiq X
Phoebe Knight
Before catching the circus bug, Phoebe graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance with a Ba (Hons) In Contemporary Dance. They discovered Chinese Pole shortly after, captivated by the beauty, grace, strength and skill of the discipline.
Phoebe wears the hats of performer, movement director, teacher, stage manager and crew for indoor and outdoor theatre, big tops, and screen. Working in the overlap between dance and circus, Phoebe has most recently performed for Pirates of the Carabina, Head Over Wheels, Farah Saleh, Electric Wonderland, Lavrak Circus and Bertie Collective
Phoebe is thrilled beyond words to be presenting Tell Me with Sadiq Ali Company.
Jonah Russell
Jonah is a contemporary circus acrobat and physical performer. They have worked as a freelance acrobat with companies including Mimbre and Max Calaf, and are currently performing with Sadiq Ali Company on Tell Me. Alongside their performance work, Jonah develops research-led physical performance projects under the collective Ludic Acid, including work that has involved being the bum and back legs of giant wildcat from Scotland, and exploring duo acrobatics inside an XXXXL hoodie.
Sadiq Ali
Sadiq Ali is a Scottish-born, mixed-heritage queer circus artist, cabaret performer and activist who trained at the National Centre for Circus Arts. He has performed with Ockham’s Razor, Upswing and Superfan. Sadiq leads Sadiq Ali Company; working primarily with Chinese pole, the company’s work blends contemporary circus, theatre and lived experience. Their debut work, The Chosen Haram, toured extensively both nationally and internationally and was met with critical acclaim.
