A dark fairy tale: The Red Shoes arrives at the Royal Shakespeare Company

The Swan Theatre felt appropriately festive during last week’s press night for RSC’s The Red Shoes. A deep crimson red illuminated the walls of the lobby and auditorium, setting an alluring tone for the dark fairy tale that was about to unfold.

The Red Shoes tells the story of the orphaned girl Karen who is adopted by the wealthy Nugent’s, whose egotism is reflected by an ostentatious portrait of their younger selves (which doubles up as a magical mirror). Initially mute, Karen expresses herself through dance, only to be mocked by her adoptive family. Harris’ script touches on themes of xenophobia with Mariella Nugent referring to Karen as “foreign” and making microaggressions, commenting on her “perfect English”. Despite this, Karen continues to dance, encouraged by the shoemaker when he gifts her the red shoes. They become a catalyst for chaos after she chooses to go out and dance instead of caring for Mags, leading to Mag’s death and Karen’s grim fate.

Ryan Day’s lighting design is immersive, and the music contributes to the humour and drama, creating a pulse to the words of Sylvestor as his poetry blends into song

The production is by no means minimalistic – the costume design is striking; Sylvestor opens the show wearing a delicious emerald crushed velvet suit and the ensemble wear goth-inspired attire during two funeral scenes. The motif of the colour red is present in Karen’s ombré red hair and Mag’s scarf. The set and props are also effective with outstanding attention to detail. Stacked shoe boxes reveal drawers for props, also acting as steps to support Karen’s (played by Nikki Cheung) nimble movements. Ryan Day’s lighting design is immersive, and the music contributes to the humour and drama, creating a pulse to the words of Sylvestor as his poetry blends into song.

Being familiar with the tale adapted as a ballet, I was eager to see this production in its play form. And whilst the production is not a ballet, director-choreographer Kimberley Rampersad ensures that dance and movement are used to enrich the script. Cheung moves fluidly from sustained turns to precise jumps under Rampersad’s direction, echoing her character’s adoration of dance with a youthful zeal.

The performances are strong, with the standouts being Dianne Pilkington as Mariella and Joseph Edwards as Karen’s axe-wavering adoptive sibling Clive

The most memorable scene, judging by the audience’s reaction, is at the end of the first act. Mariella hosts a dinner wanting to impress the board she is involved with, but this ends in disaster. The scene is one of absolute chaos, the music supporting the pacing of events, building to a climax as the shoes possess Karen’s movements, forcing her to disobey Mariella. The result is an animated argentine tango sequence with forks flying into faces: simultaneously horrific and humorous.

The second act is less effective in its structure. The musical number ‘Ordinary extraordinary girl’ sung by the character Prince fell flat as it interrupted the growing darkness of the story. Prince serves as the most obvious allusion to the genre of fairy tales, with Harris’ script mocking its tropes. When presenting Karen with the shoes Prince tells her “I did have both, I just thought it would be more romantic with one.” At the climax, the shadow puppetry was clumsily executed, undercutting the impact that the severing of Karen’s feet should have had. Rather than offering the audience a clear resolution, the ending is left abstract. Karen leaves her crutches aside and begins to dance, now with red pointe shoes, the Nugents and ensemble looking on. The intention perhaps to create a wistful atmosphere as snow fell on the characters, but ultimately providing an unsatisfying ending.

The Red Shoes is one to watch this festive season for those who enjoy darker fairy tales mixed with contemporary dance

Overall, the performances are strong, with the standouts being Dianne Pilkington as Mariella and Joseph Edwards as Karen’s axe-wavering adoptive sibling Clive. Sakuntala Ramanee also plays the character of Mags with a sincere maternal quality and the ensemble are exceptional in elevating the eerie mood of scenes. The play especially thrives during its dance sequences, particularly in its interactions with props such as the use of ropes enveloping Karen to bring together a haunting contemporary adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Red Shoes.

Currently running until January 19 2025 at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon, The Red Shoes is one to watch this festive season for those who enjoy darker fairy tales mixed with contemporary dance.