The Red Side of the Moon

A beautiful serenade, an uplifting story, a breath of fresh air. The Red Side of the Moon is a folk inspired new musical from an all-female creative team. As a seed commission of Iris Theatre’s Summer Festival, the show takes place at the lovely gardens inside St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden.

As I stepped into the venue not only was I greeted by the smiles of the friendly staff (yes, the face masks were no barriers) but also by the blooming and colourful flowers in the garden. Walking through the quirky decorations and set up, I felt as though I was uncovering a hidden gem as I continued on and entered the seating area.

The story is about Ellen and Beth – who met in a bar at an open mic night in the early 2000s. Their personalities differed but were both deeply enthusiastic in music, they fell in love and encountered the ups and downs their progressions and decisions led them through, and they both learned a little more about themselves, their desires and passions as they journeyed through.

The story written by Zoe Woodruff is bittersweet yet heart-warming as it touches on the struggles and dilemma life could bring especially being queer. The direction by Priya Patel Appleby is delicate with excellent blocking, movement and usage of the stage. The design by Ellie Campbell is original, smart and creative. And the cast – Kathryn Tindall (who also co-created the show and wrote the music and lyrics) and Elinor Peregrin are truly amazing – both very charming and talented, with their warm and harmonising vocals they were captivating throughout as a delightful duo.

Amidst all the fantastic elements of the show, my personal favourites are the music and the cast. The melodies are beautiful and still lingering in my mind, the emotions from the performances (both the acting and singing) were very real and mesmerising, and I will definitely keep an eye out for future performances by this cast and crew. A very enjoyable experience overall.