Review: A MIRROR, Trafalgar Theatre

When audiences take their seats at the Trafalgar Theatre, it is under the assumption that they are about to watch the wedding of Leyla and Joel, a young couple living in an authoritarian state. However, the facade quickly crumbles. Instead, the bride, groom, and other members of the wedding party are putting on a play - one that outwardly criticises their government, leaders, and the causes they claim to pledge themselves toward. 

The audience, no longer mere wedding attendees, are now complicit in this theatrical protest and are even given the choice to leave if they fear the repercussions. 

A Mirror is, at its core, a story of the dangers of censorship and the implications this has on art. It is a darkly comic, Orwellian affair from writer Sam Holcroft, who seems to draw inspiration from Luigi Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search for an Author. 

Theatre, of course, is supposed to hold a mirror up to society, but within the world of the play, the art produced by the Minister of Culture, Mr. Celik (Jonny Lee Miller), is less of an accurate reflection of the world, and more of a smoke and mirrors affair. While Adem (Samuel Adewunmi), a young mechanic and aspiring writer, attempts to reveal this (naively or otherwise), the story begins to unfold. 

Delving deeper into the plot of A Mirror, for the purpose of this review,  would dull a lot of its shine. The play-within-a-play relies on shock factor and twists that pull the rug out from underneath your feet, which means that audiences should know as little as possible about this beforehand to become truly immersed in this world. 

A Mirror premiered at the Almeida Theatre in 2023 before securing its West End transfer to the Trafalgar Theatre (now fully decked out as a wedding venue). It's as punchy as it is political, though with an interval-free run time of two hours, it could afford to be stripped back a little without losing its bite. 

Despite this, each of the cast gives a strong performance. Jonny Lee Miller gives a fantastic turn as the culture minister, Celik, at times charming, at times sinister, but always compelling. He’s paired nicely with Tanya Reynolds as his office protegee Mei. Throughout, Reynolds brings great humour to the performance and often steals the scenes she appears in.

Samuel Adewunmi, as writer Adem, brings a sense of naivety to his performance. Adem, after all, does not begin the play believing he is writing an expose; he is simply writing what he sees before him. Geoffrey Streatfield, in the role of Bax, one of the few writers whose work has not been blacklisted by the authoritarian state, further highlights the state’s favouring of artifice, not art, in a comedic yet emotive performance. Jude Akuwudike is similarly fantastic, using every second of his brief stage time. 

One of the more impressive aspects of the performance lies within its set, from set designer Max Jones. While the stage is dressed simply to allow the “performers” to put on their play or return to the wedding facade with just a few adjustments of the props - the entire theatre is turned into the wedding venue. A photo of the happy couple appears at the entrance to the theatre, as does an array of government-led propaganda. 

Throughout, the performance teeters on the edge of becoming immersive theatre - a clever choice from director Jeremy Herrin. After all, the audience is warned upon arrival that their attendance is, within itself, an act of political defiance. It begs the question, just how involved are those who sit and watch things happen in how the world is run? 

In short, A Mirror is a timely production packed with intrigue and passion.

A Mirror plays at the Trafalgar Theatre until 20 April.

Photo Credits: Marc Brenner