Theatre Review: The Red Shoes

‘Once upon a time…. happily ever after… once upon a time…happily ever after’. Under a single spotlight, the narrator welcomed audience members to The Swan Theatre but quickly assured them to leave any preconceptions at the door. In this opening monologue, the Royal Shakespeare Company’s performance of the notoriously brutal fairy tale The Red Shoes promised to be unusual, unexpected, and unashamed. As part of their Christmas season run, it seemed an ambitious show to put on for the typical audiences’ requirements of festive family fun. Though stating that the performance would be suitable for children above the age of seven, I had reservations as to how the gothic elements would subsequently be done. And yet, they were navigated with tasteful use of silhouettes, a Roald Dahl-like script packed with contemporary rhymes and references, and quick macabre jokes to keep the pace up.

Whisking viewers from scene to scene, there was no doubt that the visual aspects would be one of the show’s stand-out factors. The set was simple yet effective, making use of levels, with legs coming up from the floor in the shoemaker’s shop, whilst branches and snow fell from the sky in the forest. Even at its darkest moments, with the newly amputated feet twitching around the stage, such touches of magical staging were wickedly satisfying.

any inconsistencies in the plot were rescued by the brilliant movement and dance choreography

Amongst these tricks were a fantastic ensemble of actors. Stand-out performances were seen with Karen’s adoptive parents; a wormwood-like couple, absorbed in consumerism and providing the script with plentiful opportunities for its criticism on contemporary capitalist culture, and class divide. Similarly, the openly acknowledged muti-rolling of the narrator-priest-shoemaker, Sebastien Torkia, proved a huge success. His tour-de-force presence that seeped into each of the three characters left the Priest eerily sinister and the narrator curiously manipulative of a supposedly predestined plot.

However, certain character decisions felt less successful. Largely due to plot, as opposed to the respective actors themselves. Playing the role of the protagonist Karen, performer Nikki Cheung captivated the room with her beautiful ballet dancing; infused with modern and tango elements as the storytelling required. Yet, at times her lines fell flat and felt monotonous. Though this may have been a directorial decision reflecting her traumatised and introverted presence onstage, it would have been more tasteful to have her not speak at all, but instead communicate solely through dance. Similarly, the introduction of the Prince and his song felt shoe-horned, for want of a better phrase. As the only fully sung sequence in the show, it felt unnecessary and out of place. Though adding to the typical contemporary Disney message of not needing a prince and teaching young audiences integrity and independence, his role became an undeveloped plotline that distracted.

seeing Karen dance again, and this time en pointe, was an inspired directorial choice and left a poignant statement

This fed into the story’s wider intertextuality. Where snippets of other fairy tales were layered in an Into the Woods attempt to please young viewers who might recognise their favourite tale. At times this proved successful, with the ensemble’s opening outfits and large glasses reminiscent of Ozian costumes as seen in Wicked, notably releasing in cinemas later this month. Indeed, as the programme acknowledged, The Wizard of Oz adopts several motifs from The Red Shoes, and this discourse felt successful in it’s social criticism of selfishness and vanity. Yet, other references, such as the Cinderella style alarm clock, the Gen-Z-yas-Queen coded magical mirror, and Mariella’s magical shoes, packed the plot too full and were found to be token moments that were ultimately unexplored.

Even at its darkest moments […] touches of magical staging were wickedly satisfying

Nevertheless, any inconsistencies in the plot were rescued by the brilliant movement and dance choreography as performed by both Cheung and the ensemble. Moreover, the orchestra ensured that horror and humour alike were lightly delivered with music box motifs and the particularly clever timing of chimes echoing Mariella’s wicked-stepmother-like laugh.

Having anticipated the story to end with Karen’s amputation, I was surprised to find the plot continued long beyond this. Initially this felt unnecessary, yet it facilitated a moving and much needed storyline onstage. Alongside many moments of messaging, seeing Karen dance again, and this time en pointe, was an inspired directorial choice and left a poignant statement: regardless of difference or disability, passion can conquer all, we should celebrate our talents, and there is beauty in diversity.

The Red Shoes plays at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-Upon-Avon until 19th January 2025

RATING: 4/5

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