Review: Into The Woods at Bridge Theatre

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Four Stars)

Director Jordan Fein’s production of Into the Woods at the Bridge Theatre, the first major revival we’ve seen in the UK for quite a long time, arrived bearing a heavy weight of expectation. Often viewed as one of Stephen Sondheim’s greatest works, the musical is a favourite among musical theatre fans - and for good reason.

The musical interweaves the stories of numerous traditional fairytale characters, including Cinderella (Chumisa Dornford-May), Rapunzel (Bella Brown), Little Red Riding Hood (Gracie McGonigal), and Jack of Beanstalk fame (Jo Foster), alongside those of an unnamed baker (Jamie Parker) and his wife (Katie Brayben). The first act centres on the baker and his wife’s attempts to reverse a spell cast on their family by the witch next door (Kate Fleetwood), while the second act begins with the arrival of a fearsome giant who enters the story to punish Jack for his actions. Into the Woods is truly an ensemble piece, and there is no weak link in this cast. Uniformly, the performers deliver the material (including the notoriously difficult Sondheim score) excellently, and it would be impossible to single out standouts without mentioning every member of the company.

Fein’s production sees each act begin with a confused-looking, ordinarily dressed narrator entering the bare stage to open the action with the words “Once upon a time…”, cleverly saving the reveal of Tom Scutt’s magnificent set until the characters enter the woods. At this point, a stunning design of towering trees from which characters emerge is unveiled, made even more impactful by Aideen Malone’s lighting, which streams through the branches and foliage. Malone’s lighting work is also highly effective when the giant arrives to terrorise the characters onstage, complemented by Adam Fisher’s thunderous sound design. Under musical supervisor and musical director Mark Aspinall, and with orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick, Sondheim’s iconic score sounds excellent throughout.

Overall, this revival of Into the Woods boasts a fantastic cast and stunning design. Although the production never quite reaches the full emotional impact possible with this material - particularly where themes of parenthood and legacy are concerned - it is, nonetheless, a very strong revival.

Into The Woods runs at Bridge Theatre until 30th May 2026.

Photos by Johan Persson