The intersection of contemporary performing arts and global environmental anxiety has yielded some of the most compelling cultural commentary of the decade, as choreographers and composers grapple with how to communicate planetary instability to future generations. Olivier Award-winning artist Dickson Mbi is set to premiere his latest creation, TELLUS, at Sadler’s Wells East, marking a significant milestone in his career as his very first ensemble production. Running from October 21 to October 24, the four-day residency at the state-of-the-art East London venue represents a major evolution for an artist previously celebrated for intimate solo works. Co-written with acclaimed poet Nick Drake and developed under the mentorship of Complicité artistic director Simon McBurney, TELLUS uses African folklore, contemporary choreography, and an immersive live musical score to examine humanity’s fraught relationship with the natural world.
The Genesis of TELLUS: From Bedtime Debates to Stage
The conceptual foundation of TELLUS was forged in the quiet hours of parenting, arising directly from the modern dilemma of how to educate children about ecological degradation without inducing despair or succumbing to nihilism. While attempting to put his young son to sleep against a backdrop of seemingly endless global crises, Mbi found himself returning to the oral traditions of his own childhood. These were the folk stories narrated by his Cameroonian parents, which relied on myth, metaphor, and moral consequence to explain the mechanics of the universe.
Rather than shielding children from the harsh realities of the contemporary environmental condition, Mbi sought to channel these ancestral narratives into a theatrical language capable of bridging generational divides. This approach led to a collaborative writing process with Nick Drake, whose poetic sensibilities helped distill complex ecological theories into a narrative framework rooted in myth. Furthermore, the involvement of Simon McBurney as a mentor injected Complicité’s signature physical theatre rigor into the development phase, ensuring that the production’s abstract themes of memory, land stewardship, and climate grief would be translated into visceral, physical storytelling.
Narrative Arc and Mythological Framework
At its core, TELLUS follows a traditional quest structure infused with West African animism and environmental allegory. Drawing deeply upon Mbi’s Cameroonian heritage, the narrative centers on a young boy who stumbles into a rural village completely devastated by prolonged drought. This setting serves as a microcosm for broader planetary collapse, highlighting the immediate human cost of resource mismanagement and climate volatility.
In his darkest hour of isolation and despair, the boy encounters an enigmatic Old Lady who subsequently reveals herself to be an incarnation of Mami Wata, a revered and feared water deity spanning various African diasporic mythologies. Guided by this dual-identity figure, the boy embarks on a transformative odyssey designed to teach him how modern civilization systematically severed its reciprocal relationship with the earth. The journey is not merely about finding water, but about unlearning extractive behaviors and recovering the ancestral memory required to restore equilibrium between human communities and the natural environment.
Musical Synthesis and Movement Vocabulary
True to Mbi’s multidisciplinary background as both a dancer and a composer, the sonic and kinetic landscapes of TELLUS are designed as an integrated sensory experience. The choreography rejects rigid categorical boundaries, blending the high-energy mechanics of street dance styles such as hip-hop and grime with classical contemporary techniques and traditional African movement forms. This stylistic fusion reflects a cosmopolitan worldview, asserting that ancient traditions and contemporary urban culture share a continuous line of physical expression.
The musical composition, led entirely by Mbi himself, mirrors this cultural synthesis. The score features haunting African vocal performances juxtaposed against the precise, resonant tones of traditional Chinese percussion. Performed live on stage, the music acts as a dynamic third character in the production, driving the emotional momentum of the narrative and anchoring the dancers’ movements in a rich, multi-layered acoustic environment.
Chronology of an Ascendant Career
The premiere of TELLUS at Sadler’s Wells East crowns a rapid and highly decorated ascent for Mbi within the British dance ecology. His previous major project, the critically acclaimed solo work Enowate, served as a turning point in his artistic trajectory. Co-commissioned by Sadler’s Wells and the Barbican, Enowate was a deeply personal exploration of identity, spirituality, and mortality that earned Mbi the prestigious Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2023.
Following the national and international touring success of Enowate, Mbi was faced with the creative challenge of scaling up his vision from a solo performance to a full ensemble work. The transition required a new administrative and artistic infrastructure, leading to the establishment of his own company. Choosing Sadler’s Wells East—situated in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford—as the launching pad for this new chapter is also a homecoming of sorts for Mbi, who maintains deep personal and professional ties to East London’s vibrant creative communities.
Institutional Context and the Rise of Sadler’s Wells East
The staging of TELLUS is part of the inaugural cultural wave defining Sadler’s Wells East, a major new cultural hub designed to expand access to world-class dance in the capital. As the arts sector continues to navigate post-pandemic recovery and funding constraints, venues like Sadler’s Wells East are increasingly prioritizing works that address pressing contemporary socio-political issues, such as climate justice and cultural heritage.
Industry analysts note that programming ambitious ensemble works by boundary-pushing choreographers signals a strong institutional commitment to nurturing homegrown talent that can compete on the global stage. Mbi’s ability to draw capacity audiences while tackling heavy thematic material positions him as a vital voice in twenty-first-century British choreography.
Critical Analysis and Broader Implications
TELLUS arrives at a critical juncture in the global cultural conversation surrounding climate change. As eco-anxiety rises—particularly among younger generations—artists, educators, and psychologists are searching for effective mediums to process collective grief without descending into paralysis. Traditional scientific reports and political summits frequently fail to engage the public imagination on an emotional level, leaving a vacuum that the arts are uniquely positioned to fill.
By framing the climate crisis through the lens of African folklore and ancestral memory, TELLUS offers a vital counter-narrative to Western-centric techno-optimism. The production suggests that the solutions to ecological fragmentation require more than just technological innovation; they demand a fundamental spiritual and relational realignment with the natural world. Mami Wata, traditionally associated with wealth, fertility, and the dual nature of water as both life-giver and destroyer, serves as an apt metaphor for an era of rising sea levels and extreme weather events.
Furthermore, the integration of diverse movement vocabularies—from grime to traditional African dance—underscores an inclusive vision of environmentalism. It implicitly argues that marginalized communities, who often bear the brunt of environmental degradation, possess rich cultural archives containing the philosophical tools necessary for collective survival.
Looking Ahead: Future Prospects for the Production
Following its four-night run at Sadler’s Wells East from October 21 to October 24, industry insiders anticipate that TELLUS will embark on an extensive national and international tour. The production’s thematic universality, combined with its high-profile creative team and award-winning pedigree, makes it an attractive prospect for international festivals seeking work that bridges traditional storytelling with urgent contemporary concerns.
For Mbi, TELLUS represents not merely a theatrical performance, but a pedagogical offering to his son and to the broader public. In an era defined by uncertainty, the production stands as a testament to the enduring power of storytelling to heal fractures, honor ancestry, and chart a deliberate path toward ecological stewardship.
