The Red Shoes

'What's wrong with wanting to dance?'

When an orphaned young woman is taken in by some local do-gooders, she is expected to be seen and not heard.

Dazzled by a pair of beautiful shoes, she sees in them an opportunity to shine – but soon her feet betray her, taking her to places she does not wish to go.

Nancy Harris's version of The Red Shoes is a contemporary retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's extraordinary fairytale of dance, desire and destruction. It was first performed at the Gate Theatre, Dublin, in 2017 and revived in the version published here in 2024 at the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon, by the Royal Shakespeare Company, directed by Kimberley Rampersad.

'Enchanting... a winning mixture of live music, movement, dance and song'— Telegraph

'Casts a spell on grown-ups and children alike'— The Times

'Darkly spectacular… a bold retelling'— Irish Times

'A judiciously light touch and appealingly twisted humour... brilliantly ghoulish... Harris' update succeeds in suggesting some intriguing angles that will feel particularly resonant for young audiences encountering the story for the first time'— The Stage

'Dark and delicious'— Irish Independent

'Charming yet spooky… mixes song and dance with a witty dash of macabre'— Irish Mail on Sunday

'Fabulously creepy... delightfully sinister... sublime dance routines... The Red Shoes barely puts a foot wrong'— WhatsOnStage

'Enchanting... a winning mixture of live music, movement, dance and song'

'Casts a spell on grown-ups and children alike'

'Darkly spectacular… a bold retelling'

'A judiciously light touch and appealingly twisted humour... brilliantly ghoulish... Harris' update succeeds in suggesting some intriguing angles that will feel particularly resonant for young audiences encountering the story for the first time'

'Dark and delicious'

'Charming yet spooky… mixes song and dance with a witty dash of macabre'

'Fabulously creepy... delightfully sinister... sublime dance routines... The Red Shoes barely puts a foot wrong'

'A dark, delicious treat... the show's many comedic moments are an absolute riot... this production absolutely holds its own against other adaptations of Andersen's fairytale, embracing the darker elements of the story whilst also creating something strikingly original... hugely funny and an absolute pleasure to watch'

'Bold and imaginative... a script that is both witty and deeply poignant... an absolute delight... a spellbinding triumph... daring, thought-provoking, and thoroughly entertaining—a Christmas treat that lingers long after the final bow'

Nancy Harris is a playwright and screenwriter from Dublin who lives in London. Her plays include: Somewhere Out There You (Abbey Theatre Dublin, 2023); Two Ladies (Bridge Theatre, London, 2019); The Beacon (Druid, 2019); The Red Shoes, after Hans Christian Andersen (Gate Theatre, Dublin, 2017); Our New Girl (Bush Theatre, London, 2012); and No Romance (Abbey Theatre, Dublin, 2011).Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) was a Danish author, a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems. He is perhaps best remembered for his fairy tales, including 'The Emperor's New Clothes', 'The Little Mermaid', 'The Snow Queen', 'The Ugly Duckling', 'Thumbelina' and many others.

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