∞ {Infinite}
© Tom Visser
My Theatre Confidences 🤫
∞ {Infinite} by HUMANHOOD
Sadler’s Wells East till 15 February
Experiencing INFINITE by Humanhood was like embarking on a profound journey—a mesmerizing blend of movement and meditation that transcended the typical dance performance. The company's unique fusion of contemporary dance, martial arts, and shamanic practices created an atmosphere that felt both instinctual and otherworldly. The dancers didn't merely perform; they seemed to channel a universal energy, moving with a fluidity and precision that was both captivating and deeply moving.
The production delved into expansive themes of space, time, and the dissolution of the self, inviting the audience to explore the concept of infinity within and around us. The choreography was complemented by atmospheric lighting and a resonant soundscape, enhancing the immersive experience. What stood out to me was the accessibility of the performance; Humanhood's approach stripped away any sense of elitism often associated with contemporary dance, welcoming everyone into this shared spiritual journey. There was no pressure to intellectually dissect the performance—only an invitation to feel and experience it.
Credit: Tom Visser
On a personal level, INFINITE resonated deeply with the current societal pressures we face. In an age where we're constantly bombarded with information and driven by a relentless pursuit of success, the performance served as a much-needed antidote. It encouraged a release from the incessant mental noise, offering a space to reconnect with deeper, more essential rhythms that align with nature and the cosmos. For a brief moment, the overwhelming demands of modern life faded, replaced by a sense of “stillness” and unity. It was a powerful reminder of the importance of pausing, reflecting, and embracing the infinite possibilities within ourselves.
Credit: Tom Visser
A quick note on my reflections on the shows I see:
Let’s be clear: you won’t find the typical “review” on my page. I don’t buy into the so-called objectivity of mainstream theatre criticism; it’s outdated and protects toxic power structures while sidelining marginalised voices. I’m not objective, and I’m proud of it. I’ve got my own lenses. My reflections are personal, shaped by my lived experiences and values. I share what moved me, what challenged me, and what’s worth talking about; not ticking boxes or handing out stars.
And no, I’m not going to describe the whole plot or list every onstage moment; I find that mind-numbingly boring, both to write and to read.
Giuliano x
My Way of Looking at Theatre
You know, the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes that traditional theatre criticism has often been a tool for maintaining existing power structures.
It’s time to drop the privileged fancy talk around theatre and break free from star ratings.
Discover exclusive promo codes for handpicked shows
I love and recommend
Sadler’s Wells Theatre, till 28 March
One of my all-time favourite choreographers, Crystal Pite creates work that feels both exact and emotionally seismic. Here, conflict becomes movement of astonishing precision and scale: a stark duet beneath a cold ceiling light slowly expands into a shifting mass of bodies, as gestures echo, mutate and ripple across the stage like thought made visible.
New Diorama Theatre, till 24 March
This absurdist, existential piece follows Alec as he spirals through shame, complicity and the sick feeling of being unable to separate yourself from the violence of the world around you.
Pouring his thoughts into an AI chatbot, haunted by a presence he can no longer ignore, he starts to come apart psychologically and physically.
Pleasance Theatre, 19 - 21 March
Abandoning traditional plot for an immersive plunge into the creator’s mind, the piece becomes an unapologetic protest against the modern psychiatric establishment, Western pathology and capitalist ways of defining personhood.
King’s Head Theatre, till 22 March
Blink makes romance out of surveillance. Two grieving strangers, newly rich, live in stacked Leytonstone flats; a baby monitor becomes their bridge. He watches her exist (eat, read, scroll) and intimacy grows without touch. Tender, unsettling, it probes loneliness, consent, and whether being seen is care or control.
Soho Theatre, 5-7 March
Inspired by hospices, mystics and cemetery visits, this never-the-same-twice show asks what age really means, and what you’ll do with the time you’ve got. It charts the turning points of an adult life, from 25 to death, as a quiet rallying cry against cynicism, regret, and waiting.
Soho Theatre, until 6 March
Friday night, Soho Theatre: four girls and two boys in a house where sex is the mission and virginity feels like a deadline. Miriam Battye captures gossip, dread and bravado with humour, as friendships buckle under desire, reputation and peer pressure
@sohoplace, until 11 April
Mississippi, 1946: Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s electric guitar is shaking gospel to its core. Shunned by the church, she pulls the saintly Marie Knight into a tour across the segregated South — but first Marie needs more swing. With live musicians, joyful hits, and Beverley Knight, it’s intimate and blazing.
Arcola Theatre, until 28 March
Five short plays trace Ukraine’s recent history, from Maidan 2014 to the full-scale invasion and beyond. Hostages, propaganda, frontline choices, survival guilt, and stolen children collide in urgent stories by British and Ukrainian writers. Live bandura music threads through the evening: theatre as witness, tribute, and resistance.
Brighton Dome, 4 March
A raw double bill on identity and transformation. In Lyre Liar, former Rambert dancer Liam Francis threads fragments of Merce Cunningham, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Kate Prince into a personal reckoning. A Body of Rumours, set to live music by Chloe Mason, unites four young Black men in a journey from isolation to collective power.
Artsdepot, 26 February
This ground-breaking work explores the complex realities of balancing tradition, culture, and identity, shedding light on the struggles and triumphs of navigating sexuality, cultural expectations, and love in a world that often doesn’t make space for you.
Delving into universal emotions, ASTITVA brings queer South Asian stories to the forefront, inviting audiences to connect, reflect, and celebrate the beauty of being human.
The Place, 3 - 4 March
This ground-breaking work explores the complex realities of balancing tradition, culture, and identity, shedding light on the struggles and triumphs of navigating sexuality, cultural expectations, and love in a world that often doesn’t make space for you.
Delving into universal emotions, ASTITVA brings queer South Asian stories to the forefront, inviting audiences to connect, reflect, and celebrate the beauty of being human.
The Place, 28 February
Time doesn’t just pass, it pulls you apart and calls you back. Built on Trimurti—a Vedic idea of three forces: creation, preservation, destruction—this work turns endings into fuel for renewal. Five dancers fuse street styles, contemporary dance and Bharatanatyam (traditional Indian dance), carrying past, present and future in the same breath.
Southbank Centre, 5 - 7 March
A high-voltage double bill from two of Europe’s choreographers: Rose Prize–nominee Marco da Silva Ferreira and Place Prize–winner Adam Linder.
Linder’s Acid Gems plugs ballet into neon, mixing sleek lines with street textures and theatrical punch. Ferreira’s a Folia remixes a 15th-century Portuguese folk “madness” into ecstatic, rebellious club ritual.
Young Vic Theatre, until 18 April
Set in 1938 Brooklyn, with fascism rising in Europe, the outside world leaks into the kitchen, the bedroom, the body. Arthur Miller opens on Sylvia Gellburg waking up unable to walk. The tests come back blank, but the tension doesn’t.
What looks like “private” pain is shaped by public fear. It lands now because we’re again living with scapegoating and hardening politics—felt not just in the news, but in our homes, our conversations, our nervous systems.
Globe Theatre, until 11 April
Written by Chadwick Boseman, this verse-driven hip-hop tragedy begins with Deep, a student killed by the police, and follows Azure as grief becomes refusal of the official story. With choric spirit and musical language, it exposes how state violence reshapes love, bodies, friendship, and futures.
Wyndham’s Theatre until 7 March
A gripping moral drama that cuts straight to the nerve. A seemingly ordinary family, a devastating wartime decision, and a lie that poisons everything it touches. This production plays like a thriller of conscience—intimate, tense, and unsettling—asking how far responsibility really extends, and who pays the price when profit comes first.
Theatre503, until 7 March
A home near the front line in Ukraine. War arrives as pressure before it arrives as destruction: curfews, shortages, suspicion, language turning into a border. This play goes past rubble and headlines, into the private damage. War, staged with human weight.
Brighton Dome, 10 - 11 February
MÁM, an Irish word meaning mountain pass, is a work of contrasts where local mythology takes centre stage embracing centuries of tradition and a rich musical heritage. This timely production acknowledges how life’s polarities can on occasion come together and find resolution.
Omnibus Theatre, 10 - 28 February
A piece hip-hop theatre—beatboxing, spoken word and dance—built from the true story of Tyisha Miller, a 19-year-old Black teenager shot by police in Riverside, California. Written and directed by Rickerby Hinds, Dreamscape is sharp, intimate, and hard to shake.
The Place, 23 & 24 January
Through Chinese Pole and Aerial Artistry, Tell Me follows a woman navigating her HIV diagnosis, her hopes, her dreams, her fears and ultimately her reality living with the virus in 2026. This show seeks to challenge outdated perceptions and offers audiences a fresh perspective on HIV, one rooted in courage, beauty and possibility.