'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