REVIEW: TELL ME @ THE PLACE

🎭 Tell Me

📍 The Place, 17 Duke's Road, London, WC1H 9PY

🗓 Friday 23rd January 2026

⭐️ 5 Stars

JAW-DROPPING AND SOUL-STIRRING

Sadiq Ali Company has done it again! This week I was invited to see TELL ME at The Place, and I'm still picking my jaw up off the floor.

From the second the lights dimmed, I was completely hooked. This is so much more just a circus show, it's an absolute masterclass in narrative performance. The way they blend high-stakes physical skill with such raw, intimate storytelling is nothing short of breathtaking. You're watching these incredible feats of. strength and balance, but you're also feeling every single beat of the emotional journey.

TELL ME tackles HIV head on with compassion and understanding, and feels socially important. What's unique about it is that it not only focuses on the crisis from the 1980s, but it also looks at modern day relationships with the disease, helping to break down stigma and change attitudes.

It is rare to see a piece of theatre that is this captivating from start to finish. The storytelling is so high quality, so nuanced, and so deeply human that you almost forget to breathe. Sadiq Ali has such a unique gift for making the spectacular feel personal.

The three performers - Sadiq Ali, Phoebe Knight, and Jonah Russell - who also devised the piece, are simply astonishing. Their athleticism and commitment demands attention, completely drawing the audience in. Their talent is an undeniable tour-de-force, and what a privilege it is to witness them perform.

Honestly, if you want to see what the future of contemporary performance looks like, you need to watch TELL ME. It is stunning, it is soulful, and it is a total triumph. This is the easiest five stars I've awarded for a while.

This is absolutely laid bare and is simply beautiful. It's rare to find something so special. I guarantee, this one will stay with you long after the show finishes. This is completely unmissable and is an absolutely remarkable new era for circus, dance, performance, and storytelling.

Don't walk, but run at high speed to secure yourself a ticket for this one. You can learn more about Sadiq Ali Company here, and keep up to date with news and upcoming performance dates via their instagram here.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one reviewer.  

My ticket for this performance of Tell Me was gifted by Chloe Nelkin Consulting who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given. 

DEVISED AND PERFORMED BY:

Sadiq Ali; Phoebe Knight; Jonah Russell

RUNNING TIME (approx):

55 minutes, with no interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Adult themes, Strobe lighting

AGE RECOMMENDATION:

14 +

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