Into The Woods (NYMT), Southwark Playhouse Elephant Review
Written by Cathie for Theatre and Tonic.
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.
There are few names with more gravitas and significance in the theatre world than Stephen Sondheim. Since its original production in 1986 Into the Woods has enchanted audiences through countless productions, concerts and revivals over the past thirty-seven years. A golden goose for Sondheim this show has seen it all with plenty of new songs to altered narratives and even a Disney adaptation helmed by Rob Marshall to showcase its dark humoured glory. It’s a very intricate tale based on four classic Grimms fairy tales and all the stories weave in and out of each other throughout laced with sharp social commentary on morals and injustices, wicked jibes and gory endings galore. So, when the National Youth Music Theatre decided to tackle Into the Woods for its 2024 summer season, they faced a daunting task: how to breathe new life into Sondheim’s masterpiece while faithfully preserving the timeless magic that makes it so beloved.
This adaptation frames the story in a wood many a guide or scout would recognise with the 29-strong cast gathered around a roaring campfire at night, reading the story to one another. As they become immersed in the tale, each young performer is lured into this liminal space where story meets reality and they shape these character’s lives as they continue the story. This gives excellent homage to both the origins of these original fairy tales and also the campy horror vibe many previous Into the Woods productions leaned into. The set also reflects this vibe well with two raised treehouse sections which house the 13 musicians and a glowing campfire set up on the stage floor which remains centre stage throughout. The props were amazing and the way the birds were shown with books was fantastic fun. It is hard to believe that they are all youths between 11-23 as the performances were magnificent as if they had decades to hone their craft. The entire team should be proud of how true they stayed to the spirit of Sondheim’s production but infusing it with a spark that feels fresh, vibrant, and truly engaging.
Of the main cast the two princes (Marco Dennis and Freddie Tickle) were deliciously vile, foppish and believable as secondary antagonists. The witch (Xanthe Gibson) was my absolute favourite with her unrepentant moral neutrality but infused with subtle vulnerability and believable sorrow. Her singing was fantastic and I laughed often at her witticisms. Jack’s mother (Rigby Edwards) was excellent at being brusquely loving towards believably boisterous Jack (Ronav Jain). Red (Phoebe Connolly) was lusciously bloodthirsty towards the hilarious wolf (Maya Waghorn). Cinderella (Keziah Ibe) and Rapunzel (Matilda Shepard) glowed in their beautiful singing and managed to add remarkable substance to their characters in a short time on stage. Finally, the Baker (Olly Adams) and his wife (Sophie Langden) gave brilliant performances that grounded the production in ensuring everything ran smoothly and were brilliant foils to the rest of the cast.
I was blown away by the sheer enthusiasm, talent and joy this cast and crew has on stage. Everyone got their moment to shine and their cohesiveness as a group was slicker than many adult led west end productions. I am thrilled I was able to attend this performance and I look forward to seeing many of these actors on the west end stage in future. If you enjoy enthusiastic shows, fantastic cast and gothically creepy fairy stories then this is the show for you.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
