Press Archive

Theatre Reviews
5 Dec 1998
By Kevin Wilson

INTO THE WOODS

With a stunning set by Bob Crowley comprising of a forest of pine trees and a fairy tale palace, this pocket production of Stephen Sondheim’s seminal adult take on fairy tales, is a joy to behold (if not to always hear). The first half of the show tells how a baker and his wife desperate for a child are given the task of bringing to an ugly witch the cape of Little Red Riding hood, Rapunzel’s golden hair, Cinderella’s glass slipper and the white cow belonging to Jack the giant killer. All well and good until the second act when this fairytale existence is destroyed by a giant’s grieving widow who tramples and destroys the kingdom their live in and the characters are forced to look again at their selfish behaviour. One of Sondheim’s greatest musicals, “Into the Woods” demands better singers than this cast, who are uneven to say the least, but not even that fault can detract from the fiendishly clever plot twists and acidic one-liners. The Wolf, in the hands of Damian Lewis is a sexy, charismatic character whose death robs the piece of one of its greatest assets at an early stage. Rough, gruff and uneven, but still a tale worth attending…

Donmar Warehouse, Earlham Street, WC2 (box office 0171 369 1732), to February 14