Into The Woods

Since Stephen Sondheim conjured this mad entwining of Grimm’s Fairy Tales back in 1987, hundreds of big stars in musical theatre and screen have redrawn our memories of these iconic characters.  

Eamon Flack’s production for Belvoir’s corner stage may be a smaller, more ensemble affair than others, but his impeccable casting ensures a true and intimate experience as we follow these characters into the woods. 

It’s a place where dreams and wishes can be answered, human bonds shattered and forged, spells broken, self-knowledge gained, and pain and terror let loose. And the wolf is lurking.

It’s also hilarious, with a pantomime humour that makes even me laugh, probably because the slapstick sits on the solid genius of Sondheim’s ironic lyrics with their modern mockery and metatheatrical winks.  To say nothing of Sondheim’s swirling melodies and James Lapine’s storyline.

Justin Smith is the kindly Baker, and Esther Hannaford supreme as his quixotic wife. They’re childless from a spell cast by Tamsin Carroll’s fabulously droll Witch (who was once a beautiful cabaret artiste).  Into the woods they go to break the spell, and meet a very attitudinal Little Red Riding Hood (Mo Lovegrove), an earnest Jack of Beanstalk fame (Marty Alix) and his exasperated Mum (Lena Cruz).

We swerve into Shubshri Kandiah’s convincing Cinderella, her step-Mum (Anne-Maree McDonald) and the very camp “ugly” sisters (Andrew Coshan, Stefanie Caccamo) who lose blood, toes and are struck blind but still get be royal. 

Their passport of course is Tim Draxl’s puppet-perfect Prince, but his charm loses some paint after he goes bonking in the woods. Coshan also excels as the younger prince in agony over never reaching Rapunzel (Caccamo) atop of her tower. And veteran actor Peter Carroll has fun trying to narrate this confusion.

This is a cast of quality singers, blessed with musical stars like Hannaford, Carroll, Draxl and Baker, but even in this intimate theatre some of Sondheim’s witty lyrics aren’t enunciated.  Equally some staging rhythms get lost, but who cares?

Guy Simpson’s orchestrations effectively reduce the score to just percussion and two grand pianos. With music director Simon Holt at one, both pianos are set on a small centre-stage rostrum, adding a cabaret style to Michael Hankin’s otherwise simple curtained space.   

Despite its length, it’s an absorbing showpiece, drawing on our fairy tale memories from childhood but exploring uncertain adulthood, humanity and darker themes.  Vital to this simply staged pantomime are the magnificently inventive costumes by Micka Agosta (some co-designed with Hankin).

Damien Cooper lit the show and David Berman’s sound often reaches to the sky, especially as the giantess pounds across us. Into the Woods is worth the trip, it’s a delight.  

Martin Portus

Photographer: Christopher Hayles