A Mirrored Monet review – painter reflects on his past in a musical with heart and humour

2026-03-26 - 09:09

Charing Cross theatre, London Carmel Owen’s ambitious musical follows the impressionist’s regrets back to his early adventures in art and his first marriage As its title suggests, this musical about Claude Monet is full of reflections – fittingly so given the artist’s preoccupation with light. In 1916, while struggling to complete The Water Lilies with cataracts, the ageing painter (Jeff Shankley) retreats into memories of his early career. His single-minded younger self (Dean John-Wilson) may be about to change art for ever but, looking back, all Monet sees is the personal cost of his drive, particularly his mistreatment of his first wife, muse and mother of his children, Camille (Brooke Bazarian). For a man usually defined by his success, this alternative reflection is refreshing. Also bouncing back at Monet are his peers’ struggles, the artistic establishment’s dismissal of impressionism, and art’s relationship to war and women. So abundant are these reflections, in fact, that Carmel Owen’s ambitious book at times becomes a house of mirrors – enticing but with a distractingly split focus. Continue reading...