It’s A Sin for CapTheatres
Rambert announces early development of It’s A Sin ballet
Channel 4’s BAFTA-nominated drama It’s A Sin is to get a dance makeover from Rambert, with Edinburgh’s Capital Theatres as one of the co-producers.
The leading contemporary dance company has announced that it is in early development of the adaptation, which explores the AIDS crisis in Eighties London through the eyes of young gay man Ritchie Tozer, played by Olly Alexander, and his his friends and lovers.
Writer Russell T Davies and choreographer Benoit Swan Pouffer. Pic: Max Cisotti
It’s a Sin writer and creator Russell T Davies will be an executive producer, with pop duo Pet Shop Boys, creators of the song It’s A Sin, and Sink the Pink‘s Glyn Fussell. The ballet is created in partnership with Manchester’s Factory International who will premiere it at their Aviva Studios.
It is too early for any tour dates to be announced. However, as one of four co-producers Edinburgh’s Capital Theatres will receive the finished production when it goes out on tour. Other co-producers are Wales Millennium Centre, Sadler’s Wells London, and Les Théâtres de la Ville (Luxembourg).
Originally set in London between 1981 and 1991, Davies’ story follows a generation of young gay men and their friends as the HIV/AIDS crisis unfolds around them. It is a story of joy and innocence, of loss and injustice – and of resilience, activism and love in the face of unimaginable change.
a visceral theatrical experience
Rambert say that they will “transform this narrative into an immersive, living experience where contemporary dance, archive and cinematic visuals collide as past and present unfold side by side. Urgent and intimate, it asks vital questions about memory, community and how we choose to live.
“Raw, euphoric and deeply moving, It’s A Sin will be a visceral theatrical experience – a reckoning and a celebration told through fearless movement. Clubs pulse with possibility. Friendships ignite. Fear edges closer. Lives are changed forever.”
Channel 4’s It’s A Sin. Pic: Channel 4.
The production will be choreographed and directed by Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer, reigniting his partnership with dramaturg Kaite O’Reilly (The Almond and The Seahorse) on the development of a new script for the show.
Pouffer said of the announcement: “Storytelling sits at the heart of Rambert’s mission. This is a story we feel compelled to tell right now, and collaborating with Russell – one of the most powerful storytellers of our time — is incredibly exciting.
“Together we’re exploring how dance and choreography can carry urgent, emotional narratives in a visceral way. I can’t wait to share this with audiences, and there is so much more still to come as the work evolves.”
special show
“It’s A Sin was such a special show for me,” says Davies. “It’s one of the greatest honours of my life to have the show transformed by Rambert into something new and exciting.”
Pet Shop Boys added: “The original TV drama was a landmark series which compellingly presented the reality and tragedy of the Aids crisis to a mass audience. Our song It’s A Sin was contemporary with the crisis and we are proud to be involved as this poignant and important story is interpreted in a different medium.”
Channel 4’s It’s a Sin is available to view here: www.channel4.com.
You can sign up for updates on the new ballet here: https://rambert.org.uk.
ENDS
