“One of the strongest Off West End stagings of the year”
Mirrored Monet at Charing Cross Theatre is one of the strongest Off West End stagings of the year, not because it reinvents the musical form, but because it understands exactly how to build a visual world and sustain it with intelligence and taste. From the moment the show begins, the stage is conceived as an Impressionist canvas, with projection design transforming scenes into living paintings. This is especially effective in moments when the production shifts towards the feeling of a gallery space, allowing Monet’s artistic legacy to frame the action without overwhelming it. The result is a staging language that feels carefully studied, aesthetically coherent, and often genuinely beautiful.
The lighting design deserves particular praise. Its soft palette captures an unmistakably Impressionist atmosphere, washing the stage in colours that feel delicate, airy, and painterly. One especially inspired touch comes in the use of church stained glass patterns in the lighting, which brings a sudden richness and texture to the visual composition. It is the kind of detail that lingers in the memory and shows how thoughtfully the creative team have engaged with the painterly world they are evoking. Across the production, design elements work in close harmony, and that sense of visual unity becomes the evening’s greatest strength.
As a biographical musical, Mirrored Monet tells its story clearly and elegantly, but not always compellingly. The difficulty is not confusion, but flatness. The narrative unfolds with care, yet there is too little dramatic conflict, too little escalation, and too little sense of surprise. One keeps waiting for a sharper rupture or a more forceful emotional turning point, but the piece remains restrained to the point of monotony. Given the richness of Monet’s artistic life and the relationships surrounding him, it feels as though there were opportunities for greater dramatic tension that the show chooses not to pursue.
The score suffers from a similar problem. The songs are woven into the storytelling rather than standing apart from it, which is a valid artistic choice, but because the drama itself remains so even in tone, the music rarely lands with distinct force. Very little feels shaped to become a true emotional or musical climax, and few numbers leave a lasting melodic impression once the performance ends.
Still, the cast do excellent work within those limitations. Brooke Bazarian makes a beautiful debut as Camille, bringing a physical grace and presence that suit the role perfectly. There is something almost sacred in her stage bearing, with a sense of purity and poise that makes her deeply believable in the part. Vocally, she is equally impressive, with a rounded, soft, and luminous tone that fits both the character and the production’s aesthetic world.
Natalie Day is another standout, handling the dual roles of Suzanne and Blanche with remarkable fluency. Her transitions between the two women are smooth and clearly defined, and she gives each of them a distinct emotional texture. As the young professional model and friend, and later as Monet’s daughter in law and a frustrated female painter, she brings vitality and contrast to the evening. The scenes between the women are also observed with notable care, adding welcome detail and energy to the storytelling.
In the end, Mirrored Monet is a production of considerable visual accomplishment and committed performances. The creative team have clearly put enormous thought into drawing from Monet’s paintings and translating them into theatrical form. Yet the show never fully escapes the limitations of treating him primarily as a great painter rather than as the centre of a more dramatically shaped story. For all its beauty, it remains too dramatically muted and too musically indistinct to become truly moving.
Mirrored Monet runs at Charing Cross Theatre in London from 14 March to 9 May 2026. Tickets are available here.