Christopher Isherwood’s *A Single Man* is a masterpiece of queer literature—raw, intimate, and devastatingly human. So when news broke that it was being adapted into a ballet, the arts world held its breath. Could movement capture the quiet agony of George’s grief? The answer, it seems, depends on who you ask.
The Guardian raves about the "homoerotic tennis" scenes (yes, you read that right), praising the production’s bold physicality. Meanwhile, The Telegraph calls it a "crashing disappointment," arguing that the emotional depth of Isherwood’s prose gets lost in translation.
Here’s my take: Ballet is the perfect medium for this story. George’s loneliness isn’t just in his words—it’s in the way he moves through the world. A lingering touch, a hesitant step, the weight of an empty bed. Dance can convey what dialogue sometimes can’t.
That said, not every literary adaptation needs to be literal. The most striking moments in *A Single Man* the ballet are the abstract ones—the way the ensemble mirrors George’s isolation, the haunting pas de deux that feels more like a ghostly memory than a love scene.
Is it flawless? No. But art shouldn’t be safe. The fact that we’re still debating it means it’s doing something right.
Would Isherwood approve? Who knows. But I’d bet he’d love the controversy.
