Into the Woods ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“We all know how the story begins. But what happens after it ends? Once upon a time… The Baker and his wife. A Witch with a curse. A boy and his cow. A girl in a red cloak. A maiden with long flowing hair. A servant covered in cinders. All journey deep into the dark woods. To sell the cow. To visit the mother. To see the king. To lift the spell. As the adventure unfolds and paths entwine, wishes are made, slippers are lost, beanstalks take flight and new friendships are forged - revealing that life beyond ‘Happily ever after’ can still be full of magic, even when there’s darkness.”

Jordan Fein's direction was strong, and I enjoyed a couple of the changes made for this production. The use of the space was lovely, with lots of little nuggets of beauty to discover throughout. However, a few choices left me scratching my head. Rapunzel coming out to hug her mother and then running back with her after Last Midnight seemed to take away from the impact of the moment. I think Rapunzel should have remained silhouetted, with the Witch walking towards her, which would have created a much more haunting image. I also felt some of the emotional moments could have benefited from a little more restraint, allowing the audience to sit with what had just happened rather than moving on immediately. Jenny Ogilvie's movement was lovely and did a fantastic job of creating distinctive characters while finding brief moments of comedy throughout. Everyone has their own physicality, which makes the ensemble feel like a collection of individual characters rather than simply a group of performers moving together.

Tom Scutt's set is just wonderful. Obviously, there are limitations to what may be achieved within the space, but they weren’t nearly as restrictive as I expected. I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: such a beautiful design, and you would never get bored of the wood reveals. The level of detail is something I haven’t seen in a while, and every time another part of the forest is revealed, there is something new to look at. It is a real spectacle whilst still maintaining an intimacy that makes you feel close to the story. His costumes are just as beautiful. Everyone looks as though they belong in the same world, whilst colour and texture give each character their own identity. I particularly liked the way certain colours and details connect groups or pairs of characters, creating visual relationships without needing to spell everything out. There is a lovely balance between the familiar fairytale imagery and something a little darker and more unusual.

Aideen Malone's lighting was wonderful. I loved the striking designs and the contrast between the woods and the outside. Light is used and positioned so cleverly, with the side booms in the wings doing quite a bit of heavy lifting to create some lovely effects. The way the lighting blends with the set and projections is particularly impressive, while still letting each location feel distinct. The sound by Adam Fisher was mostly good, although there were a few occasions when I couldn’t quite hear exactly what people were saying. Thankfully, these were only occasional moments. I absolutely loved the boom of the Giant, and the soundscapes surrounding the audience created another layer of immersion. The clever use of panning also makes the world feel much bigger than the stage itself.

The projections by Roland Horvath were really nice and tied in almost fluently with the lighting in places. They give the production another layer of radiance without taking away from the physical set, which is already doing so much of the storytelling. It is a lovely example of multimedia enhancing the theatrical world rather than simply decorating it. Sam Cox's wigs, hair, and make-up are just incredible. With so many different characters, each one feels completely distinct, and the amount of maintenance required for all those wigs must be enormous! What I particularly love is how the designs work alongside the costumes and lighting to create a complete visual identity for every character. The different shapes, textures, and colours help establish personalities and relationships, while the make-up serves the period and fairy-tale setting without making everyone look overly theatrical. The level of detail is extraordinary, and it really shows.

James Lapine's book is wonderful, full of emotion, love, and heart. It has everything you want from a musical, whilst also challenging the idea that every fairytale has to finish with a happily ever after. There is comedy, darkness, loss and some genuinely moving moments, all entwined into a story that manages to feel equally familiar and completely unexpected. Stephen Sondheim's music and lyrics are much the same. The score is filled with clever writing, beautiful melodies and songs that reveal so much about the characters. It blends comedy and emotion, and the music grows even more powerful as the story develops and the consequences of everyone’s wishes begin to unfold.

John Dagleish as the Baker brought lovely comic moments to the role that I hadn’t seen before, while also showing beautiful emotional richness towards the end. There is a vulnerability to his performance that makes the Baker’s journey seem particularly human, and I really enjoyed seeing the relationship between the humour and the heart.

Kate Fleetwood as the Witch is always a joy to see on stage. The emotion she conveys is brilliant, and she can completely steal any scene she is in. This is a sensational performance with sensational vocals, and she brings so many different sides to the Witch that you can’t help but watch her. She is funny, frightening, vulnerable and commanding, sometimes all within the same scene.

Gracie McGonigal's Little Red Riding Hood brought a lovely mix of comedy and emotion to the role that I absolutely loved. There is also a slight sass to her performance that I really enjoyed, giving Red an extra bit of attitude without losing the character’s innocence. She has a lovely sense of comic timing, and her performance contributes plenty of personality to the production.

Matthew Seadon-Young and Lucas Koch as the two Princes played off each other so well. Their chemistry was fantastic, and the whole audience laughed because every joke landed. They fully understand the ridiculousness of these characters and commit to the comedy without ever making it feel forced. Their scenes together were some of the evening's funniest moments.

What I particularly love about this production is that it feels magical without relying entirely on traditional spectacle. There are moments of huge scale, but also incredibly intimate moments where you watch a character discover something about themselves. The forest constantly changes around the performers, and the design gives you so much to look at that it feels as though there is always something fresh to discover. A few directorial choices didn’t quite work for me, and some moments could have had a stronger emotional impact with a slightly different approach. However, these are small criticisms in a production with so much going for it. This Into the Woods is visually stunning, beautifully performed and packed with detail. The set, costumes, lighting, sound, and performances all work together to create a world that feels genuinely magical. And ultimately, isn’t that exactly what you want when you step into the woods?

Into the Woods is playing at the Noël Coward Theatre. The running time is approximately 2 hours 40 minutes, including the interval, and the production is currently booking until 9 January 2027. It is recommended for ages 12+. Click here to book tickets.