Russell T. Davies and Pet Shop Boys Bring ‘It’s A Sin’ to Life in a Modern Dance Show
It’s a Sin creator Russell T. Davies is set to bring his acclaimed drama back to life through a collaboration with the British synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys.
The partnership involves the dance studio Rambert and festival producer Glyn Fussell, who are working on a contemporary dance adaptation of It’s a Sin slated to make its debut in Manchester.
Davies is serving as executive producer, and while the show remains in early development, its creators describe it as a “visceral theatrical experience—a reckoning and a celebration told through fearless movement.” According to Rambert, the production aims to “transform this narrative into an immersive, living experience where contemporary dance, archive, and cinematic visuals collide as past and present unfold side by side.”
Originally airing in 2021, It’s a Sin, which features actors like Olly Alexander and Callum Scott Howells, chronicles the lives of gay men and their friends during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the UK. The drama received significant acclaim, achieving great success for both Channel 4 and HBO.
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Davies expressed his excitement: “It’s A Sin was such a special show for me, and it’s one of the greatest honours of my life to have the show transformed by Rambert into something new and exciting.”
In a joint statement, Pet Shop Boys remarked, “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.”
Rambert’s Artistic Director Benoit Swan Pouffer will choreograph and direct the production, reuniting with writer Kaite O’Reilly to develop a new script for the stage. The adaptation of It’s A Sin will premiere at Aviva Studios in Manchester as a co-production between Rambert and Factory International, with additional co-producing partners throughout the UK and Europe.
