Inside Giovanni’s Room

Premiered March 2025

Inside Giovanni’s Room first premiered on Thursday 6 March 2025 at Leeds Playhouse, before touring to five other national venues: Dundee Rep, Northern Stage, Birmingham Rep, Liverpool Playhouse, and Sadler’s Wells East.

Inspired by the late James Baldwin’s ground-breaking novel, Giovanni’s Room, the full-length production explored timeless themes that continue to resonate with audiences today. Set in 1950s Paris, the work placed love, sexuality, guilt and self-acceptance at its core as Artistic Director and choreographer Marcus Jarrell Willis brings the novel to life on stage.

Official Trailer

Find out more about Inside Giovanni’s Room here

Press

“★★★★★- Inside Giovanni’s Room is more than a performance, it’s a powerful meditation on identity, shame, and the universal desire to be seen and loved. A triumph in every sense.”

— The Spy in The Stalls

“★★★★★ – … moving, engaging, gripping and thought provoking from beginning to end”

— Fairy Powered Productions

“★★★★★ – Inside Giovanni’s Room was a thought-provoking and enjoyable experience that showcased amazing talent on and off the stage.
”

— Northern Arts Review

“★★★★ – This bold new version of James Baldwin’s landmark novel is intimate and expressive”

— The Times

“★★★★ …an emotional and gripping story of sexuality and shame.”

— North West End UK

“★★★★ Important, urgent and beautiful, Phoenix Dance Theatre have created a show that will leave a lasting image in your mind.”

— The Indiependent

“★★★★ A fearless and tender dance adaptation that confronts queer desire, shame, and selfhood with aching vulnerability.

”

— ArtsHub

“★★★★ Streamlined and hard-hitting dance

”

— Ballet Position

“★★★★ – Characters astound with abundant dimensional nuance ”

— The Morning Star

“Inside Giovanni’s Room is a serious, well produced, meaningful piece..”

— British Theatre Guide

“The dancers of Phoenix Dance Theatre rise to the challenges of this highly charged piece with passion and stamina and have rarely looked better.”

— Dance Europe