Review: Inside Giovanni’s Room at Leeds Playhouse

“…thought-provoking…amazing talent…”

Inside Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, Leeds Playhouse

By Helen Kelly

Inside Giovanni’s Room was first written as a novel by James Baldwin in 1956. This novel stands out as a landmark piece of work in gay literature as it tackles themes of love, sexuality, guilt and self-acceptance.

David, played by Teige Bisnought, is a young man who is engaged to his girlfriend, Hella (Dorna Ashory) who subsequently goes away. Whilst she is away, David meets Giovanni, played by Dylan Springer, in a gay bar and, although he is hesitant at the start, an affair begins. When the relationship deepens, David struggles and he finds out that Hella is returning. He leaves Giovanni’s room to have a one-night stand with another woman, hoping this will help him. For Giovanni, things go downhill as he loses his job, fights with the owner and is put in prison. Hella returns, but then she leaves when she discovers David’s sexuality.

The performance opens with David by himself and as he moves across the stage the spotlight firmly on him. As he remembers the past and his previous relationship with father and aunt, along with his first sexual experience with another boy. To help the audience understand what David is thinking on the sides of the stage, dancers perform actions representing David’s thoughts or events. This is a constant throughout the performance and helps to tell the story.

I can only describe the Phoenix Dance Theatre’s production of Inside Giovanni’s Room as pure art. The movement of each dancer to depict each part of the story they are telling is beautiful. It was amazing to see such skill and attention to detail by the dancers bringing to life the intentions of the choreographer, Marcus Jarrell Willis. The struggles that David and Giovanni go through did not just play out in the secondary scenes, but also the way their bodies reacted at points during the performance; you could feel the turmoil as their bodies would contort and jerk as if they were having difficulty with what was going on inside them.

It was not just the dancers that shone in this performance, but the music and lighting played a large part in the audience understanding what was happening – there being no words to guide you. Marc Strobel was responsible for the music composition and it really was a masterclass in telling a story through the medium of instrumental music. From when everything was going right in David’s life, to the fun environment at the gay bar, and then to the emotive music when his confused feelings came to the front, the music was as much a star of the show as the performers on the stage.

Luke Haywood’s lighting design was equally amazing; clever use of spotlights and shadows made the audience feel involved in the story while subtly drawing attention away from areas where the action wasn’t taking place, such as when the memories left the stage. One notable example is at the beginning of the second act, set in Giovanni’s room with Giovanni and David, where the room is highlighted and then plunged into total darkness, then highlighted again; this happens a few times to represent the different days and the deepening of their relationship as each time the lights come on the performers are in a different position.

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

Inside Giovanni’s Room plays at Leeds Playhouse until Saturday 08 March. Tickets are available here.

Helen Kelly wrote and published her first Romance book in 2022 after being inspired by completing three master’s degrees in history. She has now written three books and various short stories. In her spare time, Helen loves to visit various parts of the country, some of which have been an inspiration for her books. Helen is a mother of two grown-up daughters living in North Yorkshire. She loves to read and to visit historical places and theatres. Find out more about Helen at www.helenkellyauthor.com