Into the Woods

an excellent musical that would fit in perfectly with the West End musical scene in London

Amazing. Better performed than many west end productions I have seen. The team behind this are awesome. Every individuals performance was brilliant.

Absolutely amazing

Wow. I’ve never seen Into The Woods - not even seen the film or listened to the soundtrack, so I had no idea what to expect, but I knew Bare Productions would do it well, regardless. But oh my word, I was completely blown away! One of the best “amateur” shows I’ve ever seen. Every performer was completely exceptional, with voices out of this world. The direction was immaculate - every movement, expression, and character choice delivered beautifully. All of the humour was spot on - not overplayed, not underplayed, but just right (wrong fairytale, sorry…). Huge congratulations to Dominic Lewis on their exceptional understanding of the intricacies of this piece - which I’m sure delighted fans of the show as well as new audiences. I must also credit the diction from each and every cast member. Sondheim is so wordy, and I got every single word. Whether that is down to direction, musical direction, or the actors themselves, it deserves a mention. It may seem a daft thing to praise, but when there are so many complex words and so many varying accents, crisp diction is vital! On the accents, it often bothers me as a linguist when people’s own accents are used in musicals, or when multiple accents are used at once, but here, in a land of fairytales where disbelief is already suspended, it really worked. I loved the choice to have the Baker and his Wife use their native Scottish accents - it really grounds an Edinburgh audience to their central characters, and no doubt delights Fringe tourists, too. Well done to other native Edinburgh performers for not letting that sway them, either! Easier said than done! Finlay Turnbull’s musical direction of the cast and orchestra was sublime - every harmony sung beautifully, every note played exquisitely, and every dynamic considered and delivered. It is not an easy score by any means, but the whole ensemble were so well rehearsed and so confident that the audience was at ease, which is a credit to Finlay. It would be unfair to mention some cast members and not others, so I’ll try to keep this as succinct as I can, and in no particular order, as this is such an ensemble piece. While most actors play one part throughout (with various turns as Milky the cow - I’ll come back to that!), kudos must be given to Mae Haerons for switching seamlessly between Granny, the steward, and Cinderella’s mother. These are three very different characters, and, with the help of great costumes, her physicality and accents change perfectly with each one. Another impressive switch comes from Will Jackson, who begins the show as the menacing but funny Wolf, but then later becomes Cinderella’s Prince - a delightfully pained yet pretentious prince with glorious eyebrow acting. His brother, Rapunzel’s Prince, is played really nicely by Aaron de Veres who is more soft and subtle in his performance, but the two really shine in their Agony duet(s) - real comedy highlights, and sung so well! Rapunzel herself is played by Olivia Hall, whose crystal clear melodic vocals soar from her tower. Another beautiful vocal performance comes from Elsie Watson as Cinderella. She really comes into her own as the show progresses, and it’s lovely to watch this confidence grow within Elsie’s characterisation. Her beautiful voice is a joy throughout. Her less than pleasant family is played delectably by Rosie Sugrue, Tara McCullough & Anna Spence. The choice to have them be TOWIE-esque was brilliant, and again hit perfectly by all three, when it could easily have been overdone. Little asides and looks from the sisters throughout were spot on! Chris Young carries the show nicely as the narrator, laying the gentle roots from which the woods and beanstalks grow around him. Talking of beanstalks… Harrison Owens is enchanting as Jack. His warm, open, and expressive face is endearing throughout, and his performance of Giants in the Sky is a real highlight. His weary mother is played perfectly by Rebecca Holmes, with her combination of love and frustration for her son shining through, alongside a strong vocal performance. Little Red is played by Rebecca Drever, who bounces around the stage with everything from childish glee to wild savageness! Like Cinderella, this character grows significantly throughout the show, and Rebecca portrays each aspect of this perfectly, with a great voice to match. Ethan Baird is sublime as the Baker. His performance is so sincere, and his voice is like honey. He has the ability to make every audience member feel like he’s talking directly to them, which is no mean feat. Cathy Geddie is a perfect fit as his wife, with great comedy timing when necessary, but an otherwise serene performance. Her voice is really beautiful, and as a duo, they captivate the audience. The story revolves around the Witch, who is played by Felicity Halfpenny, and WHAT a performance. She completely embodies the witch, with her physicality in Act 1 striking the perfect balance between comedic and frightening. She completely, forgive me, bewitches the audience with expression that reaches each fingertip, and a twisted delight in others’ misfortune. Slight spoiler, but, she is also totally stunning once she has lost her magic powers - what a transformation! Her voice, though, is the most enchanting part of her performance. It glides easily from the soft, mournful beginning of Stay With Me, right through to her epic, powerful performance of The Last Midnight. The vocals from all of the cast are beautifully controlled throughout, and performances range from hilarious to heartbreaking, with No One Is Alone bringing a tear to the eye. Okay, I did not keep that remotely succinct, but I mean every word. And I promised to mention the cow. The way that the team had crafted Milky White was ingenious, and I loved various cast members’ performances as they led her on stage. They each gave her great expression and a few of their own touches, while remaining a united performance. Puppetry must be commended, too! I’m sure there’s more I’d like to mention, but I’m not sure if this has a character limit… If this hadn’t already sold out, I’d be encouraging everyone to go! Bravo to the cast, the orchestra, the production team, and all involved - I couldn’t fault a thing.

Much better than than the other production elsewhere, this has no weak spots in the casting, no messing around with the script, and directors who knew what they were doing.

Unfortunately, if you don't already have a ticket, it has much shorter run and completely - deservedly! - sold it out.

Absolutely stellar production - I’ll be adding my name to the standby list to try to go again! Incredible cast, the Baker’s Wife and the Witch are particular standouts, but everyone is fantastic and the comedic timing is brilliant. Incredible show!

A stunning production of Into the Woods! Better than the movie and as close to Westend standard as I have ever seen at The Fringe. The ensemble is fairly big but somehow harmonised seamlessly. Loved the live orchestra performances too. It was magical, dark and beautiful. Will see again before the run ends.

This production was amazing! The actors are so talented and the singing/live music was excellent! I would definitely recommend you see this show!

A spectacular show. Singing was top rate and better than anything on the west end stage today. So funny and a real treat. Well done to all.

I loved it! Breathtaking performances from everyone in the cast. I wish it wasn’t sold out so I could see it again.

It was a great show, made me laugh out loud:) so funny and interesting, I love it! Ps. I’m 9 yrs old.

First night at the Edfringe for myself and my sister and what a start. Throughly enjoyed every minute of this show. The whole cast did an amazing performance and what voices. Well done all including the orchestra. Highly recommend Brilliant

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