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Nikki Cheung as Karen dancing in her Red Shoes. Pictures: Manuel Harlan The Red Shoes The Royal Shakespeare Company, The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon **** Once upon a time at Christmas, The Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon revealed its darker side with the deliciously dangerous new version of The Red Shoes from Nancy Harris, but will they all live happily ever after or will there be agony, regret and sorrow? Gather all the birds and the trees and the VIPs for orphan Karen, Nikki Cheung, is about to find her voice when the force of nature Mariella Nugent, Dianne Pilkington, and her husband Bob, James Doherty, take Karen under their wing, all in the name of making a good impression in society. Beware the son Clive, , with his penchant for axe wielding and carcass gathering. The red stage makes for a devilish backdrop to an unusual telling about a magical pair of red shoes, that transform the wearer into an incredible dancer with no airs and graces or social decorum. With plenty of nods to all the fairytale greats Sylvestor, Sebastien Torkia, spins the dangerous thread of desire and so ws the seed of doubt across the dinner table with a glint in his eye, why should anyone care what anyone else thinks? Who wants morals anyway?
Joseph Edwards as Clive with his, should we say, unusual form of welcome When Mariella tries to slap some sense into transformed dancer Karen, there goes the reputation built up over the years with no chance for resuscitation or retribution. The power can be too strong to handle and after the only true supporter and confident of the orphan, Mags, Sakuntala Ramanee, falls asleep, does Karen follow her dream to dance but is it worth the sacrifice? Karen meets Prince (named because his parent’s loved purple Rain), Kody Mortimer, but the shoes have a mind of their own and Karen cannot control her feet any longer. Desperate times calls for desperate measures and the ending isn’t for the feint hearted. Despite the grisly content, the script was hilariously executed and very tongue in cheek but realistic to the point of no return. A memorable Christmas alternative with heart and gusto. Directed and choreographed by Kimberley Rampersad, tickets are available for performances until January 19next year so if you can handle the true macabre of a Hans Christian Anderson tale reworked and feel the shoe fits then call the box office on 01789 331111 or check out the website www.rsc.org.uk Emma Trimble 04-12-24 |
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