What’s the story?

James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s second collaboration, following the soon-to-be-revived Sunday in The Park with George, Into The Woods is a fairytale mashup that asks not only what connections could be drawn between several tales collected by The Brothers Grimm, but whether there is more to learn after the happily ever afters.

With its beloved score and the show already being an entry point for many into Sondheim’s work, this new production from director Jordan Fein brought with it an immense sense of anticipation, as well as questions around whether the shows themes would retain their relevance nearly four decades after the show’s initla premiere.

Where is it playing?

Into The Woods is scheduled to play at the Bridge Theatre until May 30th 2026.

Tickets and information can be found on the theatre’s website.

This review of Into The Woods was written of my own volition, having paid to attend.

Spoiler-Lite Review

There is, I’ll admit, one thing I’d been hoping to see in Jordan Fein’s Into The Woods that I was sad not to – the number “Our Little World,” originally added for the show’s London premiere. A duet between The Witch and Rapunzel, her young ward, the song added to the tender but inherently complex relationship between the pair with a comedic flair to introduce the stagnant nature of Rapunzel’s life in her tower.

As much as I’d hoped to find the number included, and as marvellously as Bella Brown and Kate Fleetwood would have sung it, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only had Rapunzel’s role been expanded, but that this was achieved without any alterations to Lapine or Sondheim’s work. With only the famous vocalisations that make up much of her presence in act two, she is woven more deeply into the narrative, and Fein even finds a captivating place for her in The Witch’s mighty “Last Midnight.” Brown is in fine voice, and carries the part with the ethereal, otherwordly quality it requires, allowing her passion in her limited dialogue to really shine through, a stark contrast to her soaring vocal flourishes.

Fleetwood, of course, is a powerhouse as Rapunzel’s adoptive mother, attacking each line with the requisite intensity of the character, and delivering impassioned vocals throughout. The Witch is also a strong example of Tom Scutt’s costume designs, which balance fairytale whimsy with the darkness baked into the work. Scutt’s costumes are finely detailed and maintain a balance of homemade charm and exquisite construction. These outfits compliment his deep, expansive woodland set, which makes use of a rising platform and eventually trees in order to create the rich, seemingly unending world of the woods, both literally and emotionally metaphorical.

Despite a strong company of actors, the real star of Into The Woods is the lighting design, which comes courtesy of Aideen Malone. Malone makes stirring, incredibly effective use of not only light as it filters through the trees, but of the shadows which they cast across the stage. Much of this Into The Woods is dusky, thrown firmly into late evening, and the effect is never short of mesmerising. Combined with musical director Mark Aspinall’s command of the score, and swelling sound design from Adam Fisher, the world of Into The Woods feel vibrant, lived-in, and only inches away from its audience.

Fein and co. have largely recognised that Into The Woods is beloved, arguably far from broken, and so not in need of fixing. Sure, the approach comes across as safe and unadventurous, but it also allows the cast and those stunning technical elements to come to the forefront – for them to be the things that make this production its own entity. Lapine and Sondheim gave their audiences plenty to ruminate on, and familiar as some of the touches here are I did appreciate the opportunity to relish in what is already present in the text, and to ruminate on the questions posed without too much new information to take on board.

The ensemble cast are roundly excellent, fronted by The Baker and The Baker’s Wife, played by the always-delightful Jamie Parker and the thrillingly energised Katie Brayben. The pair have a winning chemistry, and Brayben in particular leaps headfirst into an emotionally-rich, range-demonstrating role. As the production’s Cinderella, Chumisa Dornford-May continues an impressive musical streak after her stellar turn in the London premiere of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and strong work in Sondheim’s final show, Here We Are. Dornford-May is as emotionally present as she is vocally skilled, bringing a real sense of passion to Cinderella’s longing for more.

Rounding out the main company are Jo Foster, both as Jack and the puppeteer for ill-fated cow Milky White, and the always-sensational Gracie McGonigal as Little Red Ridinghood. McGonigal brings powerful singing and brattish attitude to her performance, bringing the part to glorious life, while Foster is another standout in their measured, heart-on-their-sleeve delivery. Their solos, “I Know Things Now” and “Giants in the Sky,” respectively, are both highlights of the evening – matching Dornford-May’s “On The Steps of The Palace” for both strength of performance and depth of emotional range.

Those who know Into The Woods will understand why it would be too time-consuming to go further into every character as they appear here, but those uninitiated can rest assured that the remainder of the company are all more than capable in their roles. This is a classic text with a much-loved set of songs at its core, and this is a production that may be light on bigger, more inventive swings, but is rich in the myriad abilities of its cast, crew, and everyone working behind the scenes to keep this marvellous production running.

Rating and final thoughts

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Moving. Thoughtful. Classic.

A classic returns to the London stage under Jordan Fein’s direction, with an Into The Woods that recognises how strong the existing material is and strives simply to put that across the best it can. From the beloved songs to the moral messages and complicated questions, everything fans already love shines through, and even for those unmoved by the show’s sentimentality, the gorgeous presentation is sure to win some less eager viewers over.