Review: Mirror Mirror by Red Earth Theatre (see them on Sunday in Leicester!)

Red Earth Theatre are currently touring their latest production of Mirror Mirror. It tells the tale of Snow White in a highly original way, starting at the night before Snow White’s wedding to the Prince with the entire story being retold to us by the cook and the maid from the castle. 

There are only two actors in the show; Clare-Louise English and Naomi Gray. Both were superb in their depiction of various characters, ranging from innocent Snow White and the wicked Queen, to bossy dwarves and comical cooks.

Both actors used sign and voice, which was effortless and enjoyable to watch. Some excerpts of the show almost swayed into visual vernacular, as a character portrayed a beast in the woods. They weren’t simply signing the words but they physically became the motions of the trees and embodied the fierceness of the beast. This reinforces the unique strength BSL has as a visual language and I would love to see more of this. 

The captions throughout were simple and clear – just how I like them! – and placed in a prominent position next to the magic mirror. It was always evident who was speaking/signing and the pace was ideal for reading and watching the action on stage. 

Both actors danced at certain parts in the show; ballet, tap and jazz being some of the styles used and the music they played was loud, clear and always with accompanying lyrics in the caption video. 

Aside from the signed theatre and dance, what made Mirror Mirror really stand out for me was its exceptional use of puppetry. The actors worked with puppets to portray young Snow White lost in the woods and her meeting with the dwarves. 

The care and attention that was given to this scene was incredible as it really did seem that the Snow White doll was moving of her own accord. The actors were able to fine tune the puppets’ movements to include intricate mannerisms and tilts of the head that gave the doll a very human feel. I was mesmerised, as were others in the audience.

The use of puppetry as a visual tool was an excellent way to tell parts of the story, as it was not only completely accessible to deaf audiences but it absolutely created the ambience of fairytale magic. 

On the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed Mirror Mirror and would definitely recommend it for families to enjoy an accessible yet magical theatre outing.

I’ve seen many shows that attempt to do it all; sign, speak, caption, you name it they do it. But they often sacrifice artistic quality in order to accommodate access needs. Mirror Mirror does not make this mistake; it is first and foremost a high quality production with extremely skilled performers. The fact that it beautifully blends captions and BSL into the show is a dream come true. Who said dreams only came true in fairytales? 

To see Mirror Mirror, their tour dates and details are below. 

Sunday 3 March 2019

Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester

Saturday 16 March 2019

Salisbury Arts Centre

Sunday 17 March 2019

Luton Library Theatre

www.redearththeatre.com