★★★

“a thoroughly enjoyable evening”

Adapted for the stage by director Dugald Bruce-Lockhart, ‘The Shadow in the Mirror’ reimagines Gerald Durrell’s short story ‘The Entrance’, in which the English antiquarian Peter Letting (Nick Waring) becomes embroiled in a supernatural curse through his employment by a young French nobleman (Gregg Lowe). Set between the prison in which Letting is forced to confess his supernatural experiences, the courtroom, his home in England, and the haunted house he unwittingly enters to catalogue the exquisite book collection of a dead man, the production delivers an entertaining, easy-to-watch night of light horror.

With a floor-to-ceiling, rounded mirror in the middle of the stage, Diego Pitarch’s elaborate set unquestionably evokes the right quasi-Victorian mystery, though the omission of a proper bookcase is just as mysterious. The central mirror is flanked by stairs and balconies, with one side subtly accommodating the seedier haunts the story takes us, and the other the more respectable spaces. However, it is not a very efficient set: its level of detail makes it feel static and ill-suited to the continuous transformation the narrative demands, leaving the ensemble to rely on Bruce-Lockhart’s dynamic direction and Mike Robertson’s atmospheric lighting to evoke changes of scene.

In the director’s adaptation, much time is spent setting up the action in the first act, making the second act feel rather plot-heavy. Staging the occult is difficult, and Bruce-Lockhart’s script depends on the continuous description of past events to do it. Simon Slater’s extensive sound design brings the narration to life, though the many sound effects sometimes border on gimmicky. As Peter Letting, Waring is often left repeating the words ‘and then…’, rendering the production somewhat guilty of a “tell don’t show” approach. The previously mentioned central mirror at the back of the stage remained criminally underused during the many descriptions of ‘what Peter Letting saw’ (in his reflection). John the jailer (George Dillon) is an engaging storyteller, but the cast shines in scenes with more action, with a particularly entertaining performance by Giles Taylor as the prosecutor in Letting’s trial.

A ticket to this production at the Mill at Sonning near Reading includes the performance as well as a comforting two-course meal in its atmospheric historic restaurant. In combination, the Mill at Sonning and ‘The Shadow in the Mirror’ deliver a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY

Theatre Royal Windsor

★★★

“for the most part the characters are gently engaging”

When P D James wrote “Death Comes to Pemberley”, she prefaced the novel with an apology to Jane Austen for ‘involving her beloved Elizabeth in the trauma of a murder investigation’. She surmised that had Austen wished to dwell on such ‘odious subjects’, she would have written the story herself, and ‘done it better’. The general reception to her novel disputed her modest self-criticism, however, and her sequel to ‘Pride and Prejudice’, written in the style of Jane Austen, was a blend of James’ signature crime writing and Austen’s sardonic romance. It wasn’t long before it was adapted for television, but it has taken a few more years for it to reach the stage.

Duncan Abel and Rachel Wagstaff’s adaptation is a remarkably faithful interpretation of the P D James mystery novel. It is the year 1803, and Darcy and Elizabeth have been married for six years and are comfortable in their orderly world on their idyllic estate of Pemberley. On the eve of their annual ball there is a storm. Elizabeth’s younger sister, Lydia, bursts onto the scene screaming blue murder. A corpse is found in the woods, cradled by Lydia’s blood-soaked husband. It appears to be an easily solved whodunnit. It isn’t, of course. That would make for a very short play. And this adaptation – which opened at the Mill at Sonning prior to its current tour – is most certainly on the long side.

It is not an easy story to adapt, yet Abel and Wagstaff do justice to both Jane Austen and P D James with a cast that authentically recreates the characters. There is inevitably an overreliance on exposition which causes the story to drag occasionally, but for the most part the characters are gently engaging. All eyes are bound to be on James Bye, fresh from his television persona as Martin in ‘Eastenders’. But Bye is unrecognisable, sensitively portraying the solid Fitzwilliam Darcy, adding an appealing vulnerability to his haughtiness. Jamie-Rose Duke places Elizabeth Darcy ahead of her time, unafraid to stand up to her husband but unashamed to stand by him too. The couple seem to be the only ones on the side of the prime murder suspect, George Wickham. He’s a dodgy fellow who does himself no favours, portrayed with infectious energy by Sam Woodhams. Woodhams also doubles as the terminally ill Will Bidwell – quite ironic given the role Will plays in the mystery, but I shall give nothing away.

As skeletons come out of the closet, the plot thickens, relationships tangle, intrigues intertwine, and class divides blur. The atmosphere is seldom fully realised, however, and there is little in the way of suspense. And an awful lot of lines are lost among problems of projection (James Bye is an exception, as is Sarah Berger’s matriarchal Lady Catherine de Bourgh). Director Jonathan O’Boyle ably steers the narrative through the woods, but never really breaks from a trot; particularly in the first act. After interval the pace quickens to a canter, but we want to feel as though we are galloping towards the conclusion. A sense of location is often missing too. Mike Robertson’s lighting attempts to lead us from the salons into the woods, but too much overspill leaves us hovering between the two.

Although it obviously helps, you don’t need to be familiar with Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and prejudice’ (or P D James’ sequel) to appreciate the story being told here. There is plenty to hang onto as the strands of the storyline come together and backstories are revealed. But we are hanging on precariously – the hold on our attention lacking the strength to keep us gripped throughout. It could be a wonderful blend of whodunnit and period drama but, despite the commitment of a fine ensemble cast, it is left swinging between the two, not entirely sure which to reach out for.

THE SHADOW IN THE MIRROR

The Mill at Sonning

★★★

“a thoroughly enjoyable evening”

THE SHADOW IN THE MIRROR

The Mill at Sonning

Reviewed on 26th September 2025

by Lola Stakenburg

Photography by Pamela Raith

Previously reviewed at this venue:

THE SHADOW

THE SHADOW

THE SHADOW

DEATH COMES TO PEMBERLEY

Theatre Royal Windsor

★★★

“for the most part the characters are gently engaging”