TELL ME to Return to Edinburgh Fringe With Sadiq Ali Company
The Made in Scotland Showcase production features performers Jonah Russell and Phoebe Knight.
Following the international success of The Chosen Haram, Sadiq Ali Company will return to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with TELL ME, a new production presented as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase.
Created and directed by Sadiq Ali and produced by Turtle Key Arts, TELL ME combines dance, circus, physical theatre, and storytelling to explore experiences of HIV across generations.
The production follows Grace, whose HIV diagnosis unexpectedly transports her to 1980s Britain, where she encounters Michael, a gay man living during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. As their stories intersect across time, the production examines both the progress that has been made and the challenges that remain surrounding awareness, stigma, and understanding.
Through choreography, Chinese pole, aerial performance, and physical theatre, the work explores themes of resilience, connection, and shared humanity while presenting a contemporary perspective on living with HIV.
“When I was diagnosed with HIV during my circus training, I saw how much fear and misinformation still existed,” said Ali. “Tell Me is about shifting that perspective – creating space for empathy, openness and understanding.”
The cast includes Sadiq Ali, Jonah Russell, and Phoebe Knight. The creative team features choreographers Jonathan Lunn and Junior Cunningham, lighting designer Jamie Heseltine, sound designer Guy Veale, dramaturg Rishi Trikha, and equipment consultant Alex Harvey of Ockham's Razor.
The production was developed in collaboration with HIV-focused organizations including Waverley Care, Positively UK, and CHIVA (Children's HIV Association), helping to inform the work's approach to representation and lived experience.
TELL ME follows the success of The Chosen Haram, which toured to more than 25 venues and festivals internationally. With its blend of circus arts and contemporary storytelling, the new production continues Sadiq Ali Company's focus on socially engaged performance that addresses contemporary issues through physical theatre.
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