Into the Woods (Digital Theatre Film)

Narrator-Eddie Manning
The Baker-Mark Hadfield
The Baker's Wife-Jenna Russell
The Witch-Hannah Waddingham
Cinderella-Helen Dallimore
Jack-Ben Stott
Little Red Riding Hood-Beverly Rudd
Cinderella's Prince/The Wolf-Michael Xavier
Rapunzel's Prince-Simon Thomas
Rapunzel-Alice Fearn
Steward-Mark Goldthorp
Cinderella's Stepmother-Gaye Brown
Florinda-Amy Ellen Richardson
Lucinda-Amy Griffiths
Jack's Mother-Marilyn Cutts
Grandmother-Valda Aviks
Mysterious Man-Billy Boyle
Ensemble-Marc Antolin, Sophie Caton, Joshua Swinney & Gemma Wardle

Into the Woods is a Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine created show, which was debuted in 1987, and this production was presented last year at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre as one of the numerous productions celebrating his 80th Birthday.

The show is in two halves (obviously), with Act One following a more traditional story of Cinderella, Jack (of the Beanstalk), Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel, all tied together by the Baker and his Wife's journey to hunt down items to make a potion in order to gain a child. Act Two, on the other hand, is what happens after 'Ever After'. A clue? It's not good. I love, love the show. The score is one of my favourite Sondheim scores, featuring songs like 'Agony' (which is hilarious), 'Your Fault/Last Midnight', 'No One is Alone' and 'Children Will Listen'. Plus, it's book is wonderful, being both funny and darkly twisting fairy tales.

So, the show itself is wonderful, and this production for the most part is great as well. Timothy Sheader's direction keeps the show moving along nicely and Liam Steel's movement choreography is brilliant, the whole cast at times moving as one. The set design was great as well, totally making use of the fact that the theatre is actually in the woods, and the Giant and Wolf in the bed scenes even got applause from audience. The costume design was fine for the most part-I particularly loved the costumes of the princes and The Witch had an amazing Act One costume. However, there were aspects of the production I didn't quite get. For instance, Cinderella with headphones, dreadlocks and nose ring and also having a child narrator which worked sometimes, but did get in the way a bit of the action and proved a little distracting in the final scene (although Eddie Manning was pretty sweet).

In addition, the cast was a pretty solid ensemble. Hannah Waddingham was wonderful as The Witch, and Mark Hadfield and Jenna Russell were great as the central couple; Russell really bringing out the humour of the piece and Hadfield ultimately being very moving. Michael Xavier pretty much stole the show as both The Wolf and a very camp Cinderella's Prince. I think the only vaguely disappointing performance was Helen Dallimore as Cinderella, from whom I expected a little more (she was the original Glinda in London), and who only got good at around 'No One is Alone' point, close to the end of Act Two. However, she did have a wonderful voice-as did the rest of the cast.

Into the Woods is a wonderful production and I'm thrilled that the wonderful Digital Theatre, whose entire catalogue I would happily buy, have worked to preserve it.