There is a moment towards the end of Into the Woods when Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine strip away the fairy tale entirely. The giants, princes, magic beans and talking wolves take a back seat and suddenly the story becomes recognisably ours. Jordan Fein’s magnificent production, transferring from the Bridge Theatre to the Noël Coward Theatre in the West End, understands that this is where the musical’s true magic lies.
This is the first time in three decades that Into the Woods has been staged in the West End. For a work often spoken about in reverential terms, it can be surprisingly difficult to get right. Lean too far into the comedy and the deeper emotional moments can be lost. Emphasise the darkness too heavily and the joy evaporates. Fein finds an almost perfect balance, allowing both aspects to flourish simultaneously.
The first act unfolds with breathless energy as familiar fairy-tale characters pursue their wishes through a forest that seems to twist and reshape itself around them. Cinderella dreams of escape, Jack seeks opportunity, Little Red Riding Hood wanders from the path and the Baker and his Wife embark on a quest to reverse a family curse. Despite multiple interweaving threads, the storytelling is astonishingly clear.
John Dagleish and Laura Pitt-Pulford are the emotional core of the evening as the Baker and Baker’s Wife. Their relationship feels lived-in, infused with the small frustrations, compromises and affections of a genuine partnership. Pitt-Pulford in particular gives a performance of extraordinary depth, finding layers of longing and regret in a role that has to vie for attention amid the musical’s larger-than-life characters.
Kate Fleetwood’s Witch is simply unforgettable. Also transferring from the Bridge production, she delivers the role’s razor-sharp humour with precision, but it is her ability to reveal the character’s pain beneath the sarcasm and apparent heartlessness that makes the performance so compelling. Fleetwood never allows the Witch to become a pantomime villain. Instead, she emerges as one of the show’s most complex and sympathetic figures, commanding the stage in both a thrilling ‘Last Midnight’ and a deeply moving ‘Witch’s Lament’.
Across the company, performances are consistently superb. Simbi Akande brings intelligence and understated strength to Cinderella, while Keith Ramsay’s Jack combines youthful enthusiasm with real vulnerability and Gracie McGonigal is a delightfully spirited Little Red Riding Hood.
Where the comedy of the musical is allowed to break loose are in the wonderful scenes between the brother Princes. Matthew Seadon-Young (who also plays the Wolf) and Lucas Koch extract every available laugh from their scenes together, particularly during a riotously funny rendition of ‘Agony’, without ever sacrificing musical precision. Seadon-Young again demonstrates impeccable comic timing alongside Pitt-Pulford during ‘Any Moment’.
Tom Scutt’s Olivier Award-winning design transfers beautifully to the Noël Coward Theatre. There is an organic quality to the production’s visual world, as though the woods themselves possess a consciousness, quietly observing the characters as they stumble through their desires and mistakes. Combined with Aideen Malone’s evocative lighting, which continually transforms the atmosphere of the production and plays a crucial role in bringing the Giant vividly to life, and exceptional sound design, the effect is immersive without ever becoming overwhelming.
As ever with Sondheim, the score is the true star. The cast navigate every intricate phrase with remarkable assurance, while the orchestra captures both the playfulness and melancholy woven through the music.
Fein clearly understands that Into the Woods endures because it is honest about growing up and the consequences of getting what we wished for. The magic is not in the enchantment itself, but in what lies beneath it. This is not merely an outstanding revival of a musical masterpiece. It is a reminder of why musical theatre can be one of the most profound forms of storytelling.
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