Stephen Sondheim’s musical makes a glorious return in this lavish, gorgeously designed revival of all things ‘happily ever after’.

Directed by Jordan Fein, whose previous work on Fiddler on the Roof is evident in this staging, Sondheim’s work brings together numerous fairytale characters, such as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Jack from Jack and the Beanstalk, weaving through a narrative that seems them running from giants, hiding from murderous wolves and trying to escape being ensnared by the mischevious Baker and his wife, looking to break an infertility curse.

It is a musical of two halves, which is both to its gain and its detriment. The songs are fun and punchy, though tonally the production is stark in its shift from neatly wrapping everything up before the interval through to the second half’s much darker turn as the vengeful Giant makes its return to the characters, who are, in her eyes, cold-blooded murderers. As a result, Sondheim and James Lapine’s book works as a pastiche of all these famous fairytales, with Fein’s direction, and Tom Scutt’s medieval design paying homage to the much darker, Grimm Fairy Tales these stories originate from.

Into The Woods is also bolstered by an exceptionally talented cast, too. Bella Brown’s haunting depiction of Rapunzel, staggering through the forest once her famous locks are lopped off, helps to mark the change in tone, serving as a neat contrast to Jo Foster’s gormless, simple-minded Jack, cradling his cow like a newborn baby and frightfully oblivious to the damage his slaying of the Giant has caused. Each fairytale character offers something different in this production, with Brown and Foster’s contrasting depictions a clear representation of the contradictions which are found in the woods.

It is not just Brown and Foster who shine. Kate Fleetwood’s mesmeric performance as the evil Witch is utterly absorbing, not just from a musical perspective, but Fleetwood’s ability to haunt the stage and sinisterly emerge from the many shadows is wonderful. Meanwhile, Jamie Parker and Katie Brayben (Baker and Baker’s wife) are a lot of fun as the hapless duo seeking to break the curse, and while there is not a huge amount of narrative in this very meta-musical, the pair do a good job of helping keep things together through their portrayal of this pivotal pair.

Oliver Savile and Rhys Whitfield, meanwhile, threaten to steal the show with their brilliant depictions of various versions of Prince Charming, most notably during the excellent ‘Agony’, while Gracie McGonigal’s bloodthirsty Little Red Riding Hood is deceptively sweet.  

Fein’s direction is supported by Scutt’s gorgeous set magnificently. It rightly draws gasps upon its first reveal, but the depth of the woodland put on stage is perfect for enabling characters to weave in and out of scenes with ease. It is also moveable, incorporating some larger set pieces such as Rapunzel’s tower and a terrific beanstalk, all bringing the magic of the fairytale existences to life. It is also aided by Aideen Malone’s stunning lighting design, which charts the progression from the whimsical to the menacing with precision, utilising uplighting and fierce washes to complement Scutt’s medieval costume design well. 

While the production does, on occasion, luxuriate a little too much, especially in a second half that almost grinds to a complete halt, there is nevertheless an enormous amount to like about this grand-scale revival. The combination of gorgeous design and stunning individual performances is effective in crafting a memorable production, forming a final package that is as magical as the characters that live there.