The Red Shoes — Jason Forrest

Jason Forrest

Jason Forrest is an Australian director, creative and educator working across theatre, film and performance internationally. Currently undertaking a Master of Fine Arts in Directing at NIDA, his practice centres on inquiry-led collaboration, performer agency and rigorous process. With three decades in the arts, Jason brings depth, clarity and a distinctly human approach to contemporary storytelling.

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The Red Shoes

Theatre

2026

A bold queer reimagining of a timeless tale.
Based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

Year: 2026
Role: Director
Category: Theatre

Director: Jason Forrest
Company / Institution: National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)
Venue: Reg Grundy Studio, NIDA Theatres

The Red Shoes reimagines the classic story through a contemporary queer lens, following an orphaned boy whose discovery of a pair of red shoes awakens a powerful sense of identity, desire and self-expression. As he finds freedom through dance and connection, he is met with fear and rejection from the world around him, forcing a choice between conformity and authenticity. Bold and emotionally charged, the work explores themes of identity, courage and the cost of living truthfully.

Key collaborators:
Set & Props Designer — Ed John
Costume Designer — Brooke Bostock
Lighting Designer — Lila Browning
Sound Designer — Shevon McCormack-Edwards
Composer — Stu Barker
Writer (Poems) — Anna Maria Murphy
Adaptor — Emma Rice

Cast:
Jennifer Roache — Lady Lydia
Rashie Kase — Storyteller A (Preacher & Butcher)
Jenny Guigayoma — Storyteller B (Old Lady & Justine)
Giani Fenech — Storyteller C (Soldier & Shoemaker)
Kathleen Thomas — Storyteller D (Preacher’s Wife & Martha)
Marcello Aliberto — Storyteller E (The Boy)

Institutional production teams:
Production Stage Management, Costume, Props, Lighting, Sound and Technical Departments — NIDA