This new dance production is a bedtime story for an uncertain world

These profound questions form the foundational bedrock of Mbi’s ambitious new production, TELLUS. Arriving at Sadler’s Wells East for a four-night run from October 21 to 24, the highly anticipated show weaves together contemporary dance, African folklore, and a striking immersive score to explore humanity’s deeply fractured and fraught relationship with the natural world. It is a work born from personal reflection, yet it speaks to a universal planetary crisis, bridging the intimate space of a father trying to comfort his child with the sweeping, epic scale of global environmental responsibility.

Co-written with celebrated poet Nick Drake and developed with invaluable mentorship from Simon McBurney of the renowned theatre company Complicité, TELLUS marks a major and ambitious new chapter in Mbi’s artistic career. The choreographer is no stranger to critical acclaim; his powerful solo production Enowate, which was co-commissioned by Sadler’s Wells and the Barbican, earned him the prestigious Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2023. Now, returning to East London with his very first ensemble production for his own company, Mbi brings an epic, myth-inflected story of climate change, ancestral memory, and our collective responsibility to the planet to a part of the British capital that he proudly calls home.

Drawing deeply on Mbi’s rich Cameroonian heritage and taking direct inspiration from the mythical water deity Mami Wata, TELLUS follows a young boy who suddenly finds himself thrust into a village that has been utterly devastated by an unrelenting drought. In this desolate landscape, the boy is guided by an enigmatic Old Lady who also takes the physical and spiritual form of a goddess. Through her guidance, the boy begins to understand how humanity has fundamentally forgotten to care for the land, losing its way in an era of exploitation and neglect. Driven by this realization, he sets out on a perilous and transformative journey to restore the delicate balance between human beings and the natural world.

Musically and choreographically, the production is as diverse and layered as the themes it explores. With movement references ranging from the raw energy of grime and hip hop to the technical precision of classical contemporary dance and the rooted power of African traditional movement, TELLUS creates a vibrant physical vocabulary. This eclectic movement style is paired seamlessly with an original musical score composed by Mbi himself. Led by powerful African vocals and intricate Chinese percussion, the music is performed entirely live on stage, creating a heartbeat-like pulse that underscores the urgency and emotional resonance of the narrative.

For audiences looking to experience this major new work, TELLUS will be staged at Sadler’s Wells East from Wednesday, October 21, through Saturday, October 24.