For my first press trip of 2026, I was delighted to catch the new production of Stephen Sondheim‘s musical Into The Woods at the Bridge Theatre. Directed by Jordan Fein, with sets and costumes designed by Tom Scutt, this show offers a darkly comic and subversive look at familiar fairy tales.
Into The Woods is in many ways a mashup of titles. Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk all rub shoulders together as a baker and his wife face a race against time to lift a curse against their family. What makes this musical especially delightful is that act one resolves the matter, then act two unravels it.
Scutt’s set and costumes are truly integral for a walk in the woods, where strange things happen and boundaries blur. James Lapine’s books offers a quirky and often feminist slant on the tales, pushing the Witch (a wonderful Kate Fleetwood) and the Baker’s Wife (a passionate Katie Brayben) to the front.
The men (Jamie Parker‘s unsettled Baker, Oliver Savile‘s Prince – and his sleazy Wolf, Michael Gould’s befuddled Narrator, Jo Foster‘s childlike Jack, Rhys Whitfield’s Rapunzel’s Prince) are secondary to the ladies who take ownership of their own stories.
It’s hard to highlight just a few performances but I particularly enjoyed Savile and Whitfield’s duet, and Fleetwood’s big number of act two, “Last Midnight”. The shadow play, animation, and puppets all added to a sense of wonder, and the lighting (Aideen Malone) linked with Adam Fisher’s sound to suggest a giant, a crashing tree, and more.
Gracie McGonigal’s Little Red is an absolute treat. An aggressive and brooding little madam more than capable of looking after herself. Bella Brown‘s trilling Rapunzel and Chumisa Dornford-May’s resigned Cinderella are excellent heroines (or perhaps anti-heroines?).
A note also for the dynamic between Foster and Julie Jupp as Jack and his mother. Their interpretation adds both comedy and pathos, especially regarding Jack’s attachment to the puppet cow. Then there’s the orchestra, with Mark Aspinall as musical director. Positioned high on either side of the stage, they make Sondheim’s melodies breeze along, defining the tricky and often tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
This new production of Into The Woods offers a look at a community in crisis, just the same as the rest of us. They just happen to have a pair of Princes looking for love, an unexpected beanstalk, and a riddle. Like us, these people face tragedy and adversity as well as happy ever afters. But just like us, they know it is OK to be silly, sometimes.
Sondheim’s other collaborations with Lapine (Sunday in the Park with George, Passion) also focus on love, often obsession, sometimes cruelty. Placing this focus on fairy tales in Into The Woods offers gore and harm to offset the Disneyfication or panto themes often associated with these stories.
Ultimately, I found this a refreshing and accomplished take on a beloved musical. Cleverly staged and strongly produced (although the wood theme may have been extended around the foyer a little bit more), this is a definite **** recommendation from me.
Into The Woods is at the Bridge Theatre until 30 May 2026 – https://www.bridgetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/into-the-woods/
Photo credit: Johan Persson