An immersive rave, voguing and an adaptation of James Baldwin’s novel Giovanni’s Room are all part of the inaugural season for Sadler’s Wells East, the new multimillion pound dance outpost that opens next February.
The institution’s artistic director, Sir Alistair Spalding, who also leads the original Sadler’s Wells, said he wants the space to be an accessible destination “without any barriers”, especially for those from the local community of east London, which is one of the most diverse in the UK.
Spalding has previously described the new centre as the “National Theatre of the dance world” and said: “If we’re going to go there, then we have to engage with the community … There’s a big South Asian community. There’s a big community of hip-hop lovers, there’s also people who love ballet.”
Sadler’s Wells East is part of the £1.1bn East Bank development, which includes the BBC Music Studios, London College of Fashion, UAL, University College London East and V&A East which has already announced its inaugural exhibition: a deep dive into Black British music.
The first show in February 2025 will be Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu’s Our Mighty Groove featuring a cast from east London, with other first season highlights including Inside Giovanni’s Room, a dance adaptation of Baldwin’s novel by the Leeds-based Phoenix Dance Theatre, and a co-production of Romeo and Juliet with Stratford East in August 2025.
Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar’s R.O.S.E will turn the auditorium into a nightclub, with a cast of dancers which the New York Times said “resemble aliens trying imitate dancers in a club, mimicking the moves but missing the feel” when it was performed at the Armory in New York last week.
Rob Jones, associate artistic director of Sadler’s Wells, described the new theatre as a space where “the professional and the social all collide together in one big, beautiful cocktail”.
Britannia Morton, co-chief executive and executive director, confirmed 50% of new roles would be offered to residents from four local boroughs, while adding that 50% of tickets would cost £25 or less.
“Accessibility is key to us,” she said, adding: “Sadler’s Wells East is purpose-built for dance and dance makers, and we think it’s going to make such a difference.”
Spalding said the organisation would use education programmes and its open foyer space as a way to encourage people from the local area to use the space and see it as theirs.
“We want to invite people without any barriers if we can. But still that still doesn’t mean that people are going to come in and see us. So we have been working in the communities.”
The new site sits close by the offices of the choreographer Wayne McGregor who has a space in Here East, another large development that was once the media centre for the 2012 Olympic Games but has now become an innovation and technology business campus.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said Tuesday’s announcement was a “huge milestone” in East Bank’s development that would strengthen the capital’s dance offering as a whole.
Khan said: “We are creating a powerhouse for innovation, creativity and learning at East Bank, and Sadler’s Wells East is a fantastic example of what it will achieve as we build a better London for everyone.”
