The Red Shoes
at Elmwood School

Reviewed on February 29, 2020

Isabella MacKay
St. Francis Xavier High School
Submitted for publication to Ottawa Citizen #1

Forget Cinderella and her romantic shoe fitting because this fairy tale starts with a death, values pain more than love, and views grand morals with severe distaste. Elmwood School's mesmerizing production of The Red Shoes explored these refreshingly unconventional ideas with intricately nuanced characterization and whimsical artistic expression.

The Red Shoes by Nancy Harris is a modern, subversive reimagining of the Hans Christian Andersen story by the same name. When Karen, a young orphan traumatized by her mother's death, is adopted by a seemingly altruistic family, she hopes her happily ever after finally begins. This fantasy is quickly crushed when the sisters turn manipulative, and the brother, with an urge to chop up cats, begins to desire larger victims. In this harsh and confusing world, Karen turns to a magic shoemaker who presents her with a sinister magic pair of dancing red shoes. Teeming full of morbidly entertaining comedy, The Red Shoes is an engaging play about the price of passion and ruthless ambition.

The cast utilized many different artistic elements to create compelling theatrical moments. Choral speaking techniques were used to highlight intense emotions, like the voices of The Tricksters, which grew more ferocious to shame and scrutinize Karen. The students also executed the choreographed movement well, with Karen's frustration at dancing displayed in her heavy, monotonous steps, and other characters' fears evident through sharp, staccato movements.

Maggie Fyfe portrayed Karen with a powerful ability to express her emotions without words. Fyfe demonstrated a full range of feelings from the character's fear at meeting her new family, through furrowed brows and biting her lip, to the appreciation Karen felt when someone stood by her with a slight, brilliant smile. Chloe Somerville played Sylvestor with a charming arrogance that was present with every slight inflection of her voice and confident strut across the stage.

Lauren Jane Hudson, as Mariella, excelled at quickly switching between the extreme temperaments of the character, believably red in the face with anger in one moment, to thoughtful and conniving in the next. Ellie Bidgood and Zahra Robertson both portrayed their respective characters of Bobby and Clive with a darkly humorous sense of comedic timing. Bidgood's wide-eyed exaggerated expressions of disbelief and Robertson's deadpan shrugs about the murder of cats balanced moments of intense seriousness with hilarity.

The spectacular costumes were carefully constructed and designed to match the personality of each character, and the combination of Victorian England and futuristic elements for the eerie Steampunk-inspired setting. In particular, Sylvestor's costume captured the androgynous and mysterious spirit of the character, with the dark fabrics of the layered jacket falling into a silhouette of a dress. The lighting was designed to create many different atmospheres and tones, with warm lighting illuminating Karen when she was hopeful but isolating her in a cool coloured spotlight when she was fearful and alone. Gobo lights were also used to create a more foreboding ambience in the forest as the shadowed shapes moved across the stage.

Elmwood School's production of The Red Shoes was bewitchingly captivating through the fervent, emotional performances of the cast and the artistic successes of the crew. The students of Elmwood School exquisitely portrayed that people can create personal happily-ever-afters if they meet the challenges of life with excitement and dance their own dance.

Emma Duplessis
St. Mother Teresa High School
Submitted for publication to Ottawa Citizen #2

These red shoes definitely won't bring you to Kansas, but they might bring you to the whimsical and eerie world of Elmwood School's production of The Red Shoes. This dark and somewhat comical play explores the dangerous side of passion and temptation.

Elmwood School performed an adapted version of The Red Shoes based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. It was adapted by Nancy Harris and was released at The Gate Theatre in Dublin, Ireland in 2017. This play is about a sixteen-year-old orphan named Karen. The play begins with the death of her mother. Following the death, Karen gets adopted by a wealthy family. They take her to meet a strange shoemaker in the forest who lures her into buying a pair of red shoes. However, these shoes seem to control her actions. Over the course of the play, these red shoes lead Karen into some very unfortunate situations that have devastating consequences.

The cast of The Red Shoes had impressive physicality, which helped portray the characters that they so wholly embraced. They easily brought across emotions and their comedic timing was striking. The colour palette of the costumes and makeup worked together to add to the mysterious and fairy tale feel of the play.

Maggie Fyfe fully enveloped the soft-spoken, quiet demeanour of Karen. Even when she was not talking, her emotions were apparent due to her body language. Gestures, such as hunched over shoulders and downward cast eyes, helped her embody her meek, child-like character. Once the red shoes took over, Fyfe also had to be continually dancing for long periods of time, but this did not stop her from keeping up with her range of emotion and character portrayal.

As Sylvestor, Chloe Somerville demanded attention every time she was on stage. From her confident body language to the smooth manner with which she delivered each line, everything she did brought across the powerful character of Sylvestor. Lauren Jane Hudson played the arrogant role of Mariella Nugent perfectly. Her condescending tone, body language, physical comedy, and facial expressions, such as smirks or eye rolling, also enhanced her performance.

The colour scheme of the costumes, which were mostly cool colours, such as blacks, browns, or blues, emphasized the red shoes. The costumes by Cindy Li, Grace Saunders, Paige Saunders, and Dahlia Rostom looked exquisite on stage. The hair and makeup were well thought-out to enhance the characters, such as adding wrinkles to the face of Margaret Sullivan (Grace Brunner), to give her an elderly appearance. The hair and makeup added beautifully to the overall production.

In this cautionary tale of buy now, pay later, the cast and crew of Elmwood School used physicality and emotions, as well as detail-oriented costumes and hair, to teach a lesson about passion, vanity, and temptation in their production of The Red Shoes.

Avalon Bergin
St. Mother Teresa High School
Submitted for publication to Ottawa Citizen #3

Step into a fairy tale but be mindful of your tired feet. The long path may not be what it seems. In The Red Shoes, one's feet have souls too.

The modernized, dark comedic story by Nancy Harris, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, is a story of an orphaned girl named Karen who is given a pair of charming red shoes. Although the feeling of wearing something beautiful is appealing to her, she slowly finds that she is being negatively impacted by them and desperately searches for a way out.

Strong cast members along with bewitching choreography and fantastic lighting effects carried the Elmwood School's production in their rendition of the timeless story of The Red Shoes.

Karen, the quiet dancer, was played by Maggie Fyfe. Her emotional facial expressions remained constant and worked very well with her delicate dancing. While moving fast, Maggie Fyfe was able to impressively maintain her performance on a crowded stage.

Ellie Bidgood, as the admirably quirky Bobby Nugent, claimed the stage during her comedic moments with active facial expressions and dynamic movements. Lauren Jane Hudson as Mariella Nugent was spot on with her portrayal as the stern and serious sister. Her elegant demeanour in the way she walked and talked, along with her fantastic exaggeration of her character, enhanced her performance. Chloe Somerville, in the role of the enticing shoemaker Sylvestor, kept a constant stature of alluring confidence that enveloped her character.

The wonderfully eerie choreography brought on a whimsical and mischievous mood. The creature-like movements constructed by Aahana Uppal, Chloe Somerville, and Mishi Turlapati fluttered gracefully and gave the performance a truly magical aspect. Fast footwork, as well as a clear progression of movement used in dramatic moments of chaos, was well choreographed and flawlessly executed. The lighting provided a mystical haze that cloaked the actors in a captivating aura. Lighting cues were mostly on time and perfectly represented the mystery of each character. Costume designs were stunning, with each colour of fabric carefully chosen to represent each character. The darker and more vibrant colours worn by the more wealthy Nugent sisters contrasted with the lighter shades worn by the less fortunate Karen. The attention to detail in each costume was highly apparent.

The ominous story of The Red Shoes portrayed by Elmwood School remarkably succeeded in cautioning those who stray too far in the name of vanity.

Patricia Dionido
Lester B. Pearson Catholic High School
Submitted for publication to Ottawa Citizen #4

The formula for a classic fairy tale is as follows: a kind-hearted princess with ambitions, a charming prince, wicked stepsisters, and a happily ever after. In Elmwood School's striking take on The Red Shoes, they succeed in every aspect, all while adding their own quirky, yet grim and comedic touch to the piece.

Based on the narrative written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1845, The Red Shoes was brought to the stage in 2017 by Nancy Harris to The Gate Theatre in Dublin. The story centres on Karen, a young orphan adopted by a wealthy family shortly after her mother sadly passes away. When gifted a gorgeous pair of new red dance shoes, her life takes an awry turn, in which she eventually learns that "passion comes with a price."

Maggie Fyfe portrayed Karen, using sharp facial expressions and delicate physicality in order to capture her innocent, yet ambitious and fervent nature. The emotion in her line delivery dripped with sincerity and was almost reminiscent of Cinderella. Through her movements, it was easy to see how her character developed from a quiet, meek orphan to an ambitious girl who lived to fulfill her passions. Acting alongside Fyfe was Chloe Somerville as Sylvestor, the charismatic shoemaker who gave Karen her vibrant dancing shoes. Somerville, with her poised demeanour, captured the role perfectly, adding in her own mysterious flair.

The Nugents, depicted by Lauren Jane Hudson, Ellie Bidgood, and Zahra Robertson, delivered grace and chaos bundled up into a trio of eccentric siblings. Hudson's personification of the filthy rich and vain blueblood Mariella Nugent was spot on, as she used bold and striking body language to emphasize her lines and expressions. Bidgood and Robertson, as Bobby and Clive Nugent, provided astounding comic relief to certain scenes; their mannerisms and vocal expressions were well executed whenever they took to the stage.

Costumes, done by Cindy Li, Dahlia Rostom, Grace Saunders, and Paige Saunders, were intricately designed, using cool colours for each character, which contrasted the bold red of Karen's shoes, the only warm colour present. Accompanied by lighting, done by Adriana Bacon and Grace Saunders, the characters and the scenery felt ethereal, in an almost eerie way.

A tragic yet stunning tale, with elegant yet ominous visual tones, and an exquisite cast of characters, Elmwood School's The Red Shoes brought forth all sorts of woe and mystery.

Nicole Bennett
Immaculata High School
Submitted for publication to Ottawa Citizen #5

"Passion has its price." Elmwood School's production of the play The Red Shoes brought ordinary life to the mysterious and magical world that Karen lived in.

The Red Shoes by Nancy Harris is based on the original fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. It is the story of a girl and her troubling red shoes. Karen, a 16-year-old girl who just lost her mother, is adopted by a family who seems to have good intentions but turn out to be a little more self-consumed. The girl hopes to impress her new family and be accepted by them, but slowly her goals change as she meets the perplexing but magical shoemaker. From the shoemaker, she is given an exclusive pair of red shoes made for dancing, but she is warned that they can have a mind of their own. The shoes begin to act on their own and lead the story down an unpleasant path.

The Elmwood cast gave an emotional yet humorous performance that was paired with visually stunning costumes and polished lighting. This fairy tale world was brought out through well-timed movements and lighting choices.

Maggie Fyfe portrayed the airy and delicate character, Karen. Her posture and tone progressed through the show to emphasize the increase in confidence the character gained during the plot.

As Bobby Nugent, Ellie Bidgood was always amusing; her timely facial expression and the perfectly delivered lines never failed to gain a laugh from the audience. Even when she wasn't the main focus, she always provided funny reactions in the way she moved in the presence of the character Karen, which matched to suit the uncertainty she had towards the girl.

To accent the dramatic movements in the show and create the eerie atmosphere, the ensemble of The Tricksters showed passion and energy as they moved about the stage. Often following the guidance of Sylvestor, The Tricksters dragged out words or echoed them, adding to the scary and haunting mood of the forest. Their performance created a great connection between many of the different scenes in the show.

The use of dim but focused lighting paired satisfyingly with the school's thrust stage, making the audience feel immersed in the forest that surrounded the characters. The lighting designs, done by Adriana Bacon and Grace Saunders, were very creative as they chose to use objects, such as flashlights or lanterns, to add focus to a character or moment in the show. The colour palette of the costumes for this show worked well to put a focus on the red shoes; the dark, cool tones made the bright red shoes pop.

Elmwood School's rendition of The Red Shoes was magical and mysterious whilst never losing the audience's attention with their whimsical movements. When looking for a fairy-tale-like story with a mystical twist, this show delivered.

Brienne Rivard
St. Francis Xavier High School
Submitted for publication to Ottawa Citizen #6

One's desire to succeed and pursue their own goals can also be one's downfall. Passion came at a price that some weren't prepared to pay in Elmwood School's enchanting production of The Red Shoes.

Adapted from Hans Christian Andersen's work of the same name, Nancy Harris unwinds the story of a young girl and her perilous experience with magic and a suspicious pair of beautiful red shoes. The Red Shoes follows 16-year-old Karen as she goes to live with a wealthy family with ulterior motives, where she battles against vanity, desire, and the temptation of a seemingly magical pair of shoes.

Elmwood School's lively production of The Red Shoes succeeded in bringing to life both the timelessness of a fairy tale and the tragedy of a classic Andersen story. With fitting and synchronised choreography, and well-timed delivery of comedic lines, along with the vibrant yet muted colours found in the elegant hair, makeup, and costumes, performers and crew alike shone without much visible fault.

As Karen, Maggie Fyfe graced the stage with her wonder-like presence and emotional facial expressions. Her consistent air of innocence allowed her to reflect Karen's youthful mindset, clearly projected in both her physicality and tone. Instances of the like were most credible in her softer facial expressions when interacting with Mags's (Grace Brunner) kind and motherly demeanour or blatant unease around Clive's (Zahra Robertson) chilling energy and fascination with dismembering dead animals.

Lauren Jane Hudson, in the role of Mariella Nugent, displayed a wide variety of emotions, from her abashed voice when trying to control the chaos at dinner to her consistent look of disgust whenever Karen's wellbeing was brought up in conversation. Portraying the mysterious shoemaker, Sylvestor, Chloe Somerville utilized an ominous aura in many aspects of her performance. From the grace in her physicality to the foreboding delivery of the shoemaker's rhythmic and whimsical lines, Somerville succeeded in convincingly depicting the deceptive character. As Bobby Nugent, Ellie Bidgood was pleasantly consistent in staying present in scenes and responding animatedly through facial expressions and vocal intonations. Bidgood's comedic timing contributed to easing tension, most notably when displaying fear and panic towards Karen by quickly hurrying away when approached and laughing nervously.

A timeless, storybook setting was established through the use of the detailed costume pieces and complementary colours. The muted yet vibrant colour palette seen in Sylvestor and his band of Tricksters' costumes and makeup defined their sinister motives and otherworldly characters. Commendable detail was seen in the Nugent sisters' similar but contrasting dresses and Sylvestor's copper-coloured coat. The lighting played a part in further establishing the atmosphere, as seen in the cold and dimmer hues in the eerie forest and the colourful effects used at the ball.

In a fabled rendition of the otherwise dark tale, Elmwood School's performance of The Red Shoes showcased the importance of not succumbing to vanity and the price to pay for the thoughtless pursuit of passion.