From the first scene — a wedding — we see a bride and groom declaring their vows to one another. However, they are shouting into a microphone and, despite the marital smiles, you begin to wonder is this really a wedding? The answer is no. The ceremony is a ruse, masking a theatre performance.

Nothing is as it seems in A Mirror. Set in a dystopian world where theatre is illegal and the classical literature of Shakespeare is banned, this play has multiple layers and twists that keep the audience on its toes.

Written by contemporary British playwright Sam Holcroft, at times the content of this play is reminiscent of George Orwell’s oppressive society in ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ (read the review for Shake & Stir’s production here).

Adem (Faisal Hamza) is an ex-army mechanic turned aspiring writer whose work has caught the attention of the Ministry of Culture bureaucrat Čelik (Yalin Ozucelik) and summons him for a meeting. While the Ministry of Culture functions as a censorship body, Čelik believes it exists to nurture artists, providing their work is patriotic. He encourages Adem to write something noble and hopeful, telling him, “Art tells you what could be.” Čelik also mentors his new office assistant, ex-front-line army officer  Mei,  played by Rose Riley. He provides her with a contraband copy of Romeo and Juliet, invites her to state-approved performances, and pushes her to think about her response to art: “How did it make you feel?”

The cast in this production all excel. Riley draws constant laughter, particularly in the early scenes when she is required to read Adem’s play aloud, delivered in stiff, robotic broken speech, noting she is not an actor. And her quick action rifle choreography, with thanks to military consultant Jake Speer, earns rapt applause. Ozucelik is compelling as the frustrated, art loving bureaucrat who believes more can be gained working within the system than rebelling against it. He takes Adem and state-sanctioned playwright Bax (Eden Falk) under his wing, offering protection but at the same time forcing their creativity into a box. The characters in this production are rich with depth and pathos. Hamza brings a quiet intensity to Adem, and Falk embodies the inner conflict of a writer who has compromised his artistic integrity.

Angelina Daniel designs the set as a continuation of Belvoir Street Theatre, blurring the line between the performance space and the play, even sourcing an exact match for the venue’s carpet and wall paint.

Directed by Margaret Thanos (Furious Mattress, POSH) the power of storytelling takes on new dimension in this delivery. She describes A Mirror as a “brain teaser for the mind”. Thanos explains, “The play is called A Mirror because a mirror is a reflective surface. And as we have seen in recent times, there’s lots of conversations going on about whether art should be for art’s sake, whether it should be reflective of the society that we’re living in, or whether it should simply just be a vehicle for entertainment.”

A Mirror cleverly invites the audience to question where narratives originate and the intention of art. The piece reminds us that theatre has the power to transport, move, elevate and inspire. A love letter to theatre as an artform, it celebrates its ability to help us see our lives in another way.

In this totalitarian regime, reporting the truth can be considered a crime. How many steps away are we from such a world? A Mirror points its dramatic spotlight onto the audience, urging self-reflection and asking how far one might go to support what they believe in. Powerful stories have a way of spreading and here they unfold in gripping, surprising and wonderfully challenging theatre.

4.5 stars

Run time: 1 hour 55 minutes (no interval)

A Mirror is playing at Belvoir St Theatre until 22 March 2026. 

For tickets visit Belvoir St Theatre