Award‑winning performer Jeff Shankley returns to the London stage in A Mirrored Monet, a new musical inspired by the life and work of Claude Monet. The production follows the legendary painter as he reflects on his past while battling to complete his iconic Water Lilies series.
Shankley stars as Monet in 1916, alongside Dean John‑Wilson as the artist in his youth, in a show that blends memory, music and striking visual design.
A Mirrored Monet runs at Charing Cross Theatre from 14 March to 9 May 2026. Tickets are available here.
You’re starring in A Mirrored Monet at Charing Cross Theatre. What can you tell us about the show?
It’s about Claude Monet, of course, but not just the paintings, and not a biography. It’s certainly not a museum piece.
It looks more at the man behind the work, the cost of that obsession, and the people around him who bore it. The ones who loved him, and what it asked of them.
It leaves the audience with questions rather than answers.
You portray Claude Monet later in life. What drew you to this role and this particular moment in the artist’s journey?
What drew me to the piece was exactly this stage of his life. Playing Claude Monet later on means you’re dealing with a man looking back, at what he’s achieved, but also at what it’s cost.
There’s a kind of reckoning in that. Less certainty, perhaps, more awareness. I found that very human.
The musical explores Monet’s memories, relationships, and creative struggles. How did you approach bringing that emotional landscape to life on stage?
I approached it quite simply, really. With Claude Monet, it’s less about playing ‘big emotion’, although they do erupt, and more about letting things sit just under the surface.
His memories and relationships aren’t neat; they bleed into each other. So I tried to let that uncertainty exist rather than tidy it up.
I find that the inconsistencies, if you play them rather than ironing them out, help create a more complex and flawed human being. With any creative artist the parallels are the same. Often revealing, often painful.
The show blends music, projection, and period detail to evoke Belle Époque Paris. What aspects of the production design have most inspired your performance?
It’s the way everything works together. The music, the projections, the period detail, they create a very specific world.
As an actor, that gives you something to lean into. With Claude Monet, it helps you feel the environment rather than describe it.
Carmel Owen’s score and writing have already been praised by the cast. What has it been like working with this creative team?
I’ve really enjoyed it. Carmel Owen’s score has a kind of emotional intelligence, it supports rather than dictates.
The atmosphere in the room has been very collaborative. There are so many people behind the scenes, the unsung, unseen heroes who’ve brought it to life. That sense of being listened to makes a great difference.
What would you say to anyone thinking of booking to see A Mirrored Monet?
Step in and let yourself be immersed. It’s intimate, sometimes unsettling, but it lingers.
You’ll leave thinking about more than just the art, you’ll leave thinking about what it means to create, to love, and to remember.
