Created in 2002, The Red Shoes predates Brief Encounter, which played St. Ann's Warehouse in December 2009. The play, inspired by the dark Hans Christian Anderson tale, is being revived in honor of Kneehigh's 30th anniversary.

In a recent interview with Playbill.com, Kneehigh artistic director Emma Rice explained that the stage production takes inspiration from the Hans Christian Anderson tale, but is also based on earlier oral traditions and stories. Rice has also provided a more hopeful conclusion to the story.

Rice helms the production, described as a menacing cabaret filled with muscular dancing, that will run through Dec. 12.

The play has poetry by Anna Maria Murphy and a score by Stu Barker. Barker and Ian Ross perform the original music for The Red Shoes, which also incorporates music by Wagner, Philip Glass and the hip-hop group Jurassic 5.

Patrycja Kujawska, who earned acclaim for originating the role of The Girl, reprises her performance in a cast that also includes Giles King as Lady Lydia, Dave Mynneas The Old Lady/The Preachers Wife, Robert Luckay as The Soldier/The Shoemaker and Mike Shepherd as The Preacher/The Angel/The Butcher. The Red Shoes has production design by Bill Mitchell, lighting design by Malcolm Rippeth and sound design by Simon Baker.

According to Kneehigh, "Rice offers her own twist of [The Red Shoes], which has been told and retold in various media since its original publication in 1845, including the famous film with Moira Shearer: Whereas in most versions the protagonist—who, in Rice’s text, is named The Girl—is punished with servitude or death for following her passions, Rice gives her heroine the chance to battle for her life."

Phone (718) 254-8779 or visit artsatstanns.org.

St. Ann's Warehouse is located at 38 Water Street (between Main and Dock St.) in Brooklyn, New York.