Discover the work of Sadiq Ali Company. Queer led/Neurodivergent, overachieving and ambitious new contemporary circus company creating groundbreaking (genuinely) performances that merge spectacle with story. Every production explores themes of faith, identity, love, stigma, and resilience through powerful physicality and emotional depth.
SHOWS
Touring the UK and beyond, we invite audiences into spaces that spark empathy, visibility, and joy.
MOre Info
THE CHOSEN HARAM
A HEADY MIX OF LOVE, DRUGS AND ISLAM. THIS UNIQUE AND COMPLEX TAKE ON CIRCUS, PERFORMED ON TWO CHINESE POLES, IS EMOTIONALLY CANDID WITH MOMENTS OF HUMOUR AND JOY.
The Chosen Haram deals with themes of sexuality, faith, addiction and connection. The story of two gay men and their chance meeting through a dating app, portraying the highs and lows of their relationship and the barriers they face, social, cultural and personal in seeking happiness and personal fulfilment.
The Chosen Haram is based on a combination of lead artist Sadiq Ali’s personal experience, as well as interviews with members of the LGBTQ+ community who identify as (ex) Muslim. The show is an exploration into the personal struggles faced by many people whose upbringing contradicts their personal truths, and how this can lead to self-destructive behaviour.
Something that is “Haram” is forbidden by Islam.
“Powerful, strong and sensual”
The Queer Review ★★★★★
“Beautifully choreographed, totally unmissable”
The Recs ★★★★★
“An astonishing fusion of circus and storytelling”
Fest Mag ★★★★★
“Elevates a boy meets-boy love story into something dream-like”
The Guardian ★★★★
“Beautiful story, beautifully told”
The Stage ★★★★
THE UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP
TWO FRIENDS PERFORM A BRETHTAKING AERIAL SHOW.
They fly, spin, hang from the rooftops and fall out of the sky... But they weren't always so glorious. How did they transform from feeling like outsiders to the fantastical creatures they always knew they had inside them?
A touching story of a girl who wants to be a monster and a boy who wants to fly. This dynamic and visually stunning aerial show explores the universal yearning to belong and the joy of
friendship.
“A heart-warming, physically impressive show”
British Theatre Guide ★★★★
“a touching celebration of friendship”
Broadway World ★★★★
“I may not be a child, but I felt as excited and enthralled as one for a glorious hour”
Theatre Weekly ★★★★
“Visually stunning and quietly profound”
Edinburgh Festivals Magazine ★★★★
TELL ME
TWO TIMELINES COLLIDE IN THIS BOLD FUSION OF DANCE AND CIRCUS OFFERING A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON HIV.
When Grace receives a diagnosis, she is transported back to the 80s, alongside Michael, a gay man navigating a very different reality. Their journeys unfold through striking choreography, Chinese pole and aerial artistry.
Sadiq Ali Company, makers of five-star, award winning The Chosen Haram return to the Fringe with their new show Tell Me, part of the Made in Scotland showcase.
“When I was diagnosed with HIV during my circus training, I saw how much fear and ignorance still existed. I want Tell Me to challenge that - to create the same shift in audiences that I experienced with my peers, to replace fear with empathy and understanding.” Sadiq Ali
“edgy and boundary-extending”
Plays to See ★★★★★
“The acrobatic skill and visual effects are riveting”
Everything Theatre ★★★★
“The energy on stage is electric and the emotional storytelling is a real strength” Corr Blimey ★★★★
“stunning, soulful, a total triumph”
Pink Prince Theatre ★★★★★
“poignant tale of sex, revelry and glistening abs”
The Guardian ★★★★