A Mirror London Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (13)
See it if you're in for relevant, thrilling, punch-in-your-gut theater, that's both profound and entertaining, brilliantly written, acted & directed.
Don't see it if you prefer your political theater a little less obvious, there's a hint of predictability once the premise is made clear. Still, a must see! Read more
See it if You like thought-provoking plays on current subject matters. I particularly like the script and the concept of the play.
Don't see it if You don't care for politics and ethics.
See it if you want to see a great play about the difficulties of making art in a society that censors the truth
Don't see it if you prefer plays with more interpersonal themes
See it if you like plays that aren't really what they seem, but are ultimately about freedom of speech and expression, and the power of art.
Don't see it if you like big shows with really exciting stage designs. Or shows that are clear-cut. Read more
See it if If you want to see a clever play with good acting, but won't be too disappointed when its philosophising goes of the rails in places
Don't see it if if you like a clearcut story with an obvious plot or if you will be annoyed at not being able to figure out what's happening here and there Read more
See it if you value free speech, and want to consider what role the state should have in freedom of expression, thought, art and culture
Don't see it if you're not keen on plays within plays. Part of it is sweary and explicit, unnecessarily so at points - but the play(s) move beyond this...
See it if you enjoy clever writing and excellent performances
Don't see it if You prefer a linear structure
See it if You enjoy political theatre. Relevant issues discussed through an almost satirical lens. Superb performance from Johnny Lee Miller
Don't see it if You prefer more nuance. The characters motivations, whilst they came through, didn’t envoke much emotion
Critic Reviews (13)
“’A Mirror’ struggles to conjure the weight it wants to. An interesting story is shattered to bits by gimmicky meta-theatricality. If ’A Mirror’ looks into a mirror, it is only to naval gaze, not to tell its story...But sadly all ‘A Mirror’ can do is pose at being the real thing. For a theatrical dystopia, this is Orwell that doesn’t end well.”
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“Rarely have I been simultaneously so thrilled and infuriated by a play. Sam Holcroft’s arch comedy about a playwright navigating an authoritarian regime is a beautifully crafted, mind-bending piece of work.”
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“It’s a mordantly funny comedy about the essential moral vacuousness of censorship. And it’s dispatched with great wit in a puckish production from Jeremy Herrin – it’s safe to say the we’re-pretending-we’re-at-a-wedding conceit resurfaces - with an excellent cast.”
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“Jeremy Herrin’s production grinds away in disorienting circles...With no interval to provide solace, you find yourself hoping for something to ignite. Which duly happens in the final ten minutes. But it really isn’t worth the wait.”
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“Sam Holcroft’s new play ‘A Mirror’ is bold, inventive and original. It is also annoying and a bit messy around the edges. I loved it, but felt I could not, admired it, yet was irritated by some of its qualities.”
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“Holcroft’s witty satire is an exuberant experience if you surrender to its looping structure, which does pay off smartly in a big climactic reveal. Yet one of its internal debates – whether art should reflect messy reality or should be an inspiring or escapist experience – comes to apply to ’A Mirror.’ It’s so issue-led that it almost feels more like a staged essay than a drama.”
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"Like the play as a whole, it is an electrifying reminder that protest comes in many forms, and that artistic expression remains a powerful tool for challenging oppressors."
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"This play is an achievement: like nothing else you’ll see on London’s stages, full of the kind of meta-theatrical self-awareness that’ll thrill the artsy in-crowd without alienating everyone else. And, if you’ll excuse the cliche, it’ll leave you with much to reflect on."
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