Another wonderful evening was had at The Mill at Sonning where you get a meal and a show for one price.
Currently playing is ’The Shadow in the Mirror’ – a show that is part whodunit, part mystery, and a ghost story as well – where a bookseller is commissioned to catalogue the library of a deceased French Marquis. But even before the scares start there is a delicious meal to be had in the beautiful restaurant, which adjoins the theatre.
It is a delicious menu with an excellent variety of options – Steak pie with mash and vegetables; Baked salmon filet, and Coq au vin (which is what I had and it was extremely delicious, tender and delicate, with just the right amount of gravy and served with pomme puree & French beans). For the vegetarians there is Roasted vegetable & stilton tart and Keema & potato pie with vegetables. Dessert is also served after the meal and I had the wonderful sticky toffee pudding served with caramel sauce and ice cream. Other choices include vanilla panna cotta, chocolate mousse, and a cheese plate. All served with coffee or tea.
’The Shadow in the Mirror’ is set in 1901 Marseilles, France. Nick Waring is Peter Letting, the bookseller, with not a penny to his name, who is approached by Gideon de Teildras (Gregg Lowe) to do the catalogueing for the French Marquis, who was extremely wealthy and recently passed. John the Jailer (George Dillon) is the narrator to the story and a constant companion to Letting. But once Letting is inside the house of the Marquis, all sorts of scary things start happening after he discovers an ancient hidden doorway in the remote chateau, and a strange mirror, what’s going on with the mirror? Is it all real or not real? And is Gideon who he says he is? Based on the short story ’The Entrance’ by Gerald Durrell, Director Dugald Bruce-Lockhart has deployed a bit of dramatic license from the original story, adding characters that are only alluded to in ’The Entrance’ in order to create this theatrical presentation. ’The Shadow in the Mirror’ is gripping, the atmosphere is scary, and the show has great lighting design and sound effects, and wonderfully co-exists in the Grade II listed building of the Sonning that is a bit creaky in some bits. The cast are fantastic in their roles, and I must say again how delicious the pre-theatre meal was. All in all an excellent night out.