Into the woods 

The Crescent Theatre 

Birmingham 

29th April - 6th May 2023

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Book by James Lapine. Originally directed on Broadway by James Lapine. 

Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick. 

Act I - 85 minutes 

Interval - 20 minutes 

Act II - 70 minutes 

'Into the Woods' takes you on a journey through Act I, observing a Baker and his wife, who wish to have a child, Cinderella who wishes to attend the King's Festival and Jack who wishes his cow would give milk. The Baker and his wife discover that they cannot have a child because of a Witch's curse, the two set off on a journey to break the curse. 

Act II tackles the consequences of what they did to get there. 

A low budget production and from the onset is absolutely bursting at the seams with much hilarity; hilarity which engulfed the audience throughout! 

It was a delight to see a wide age range in the auditorium, especially many 'youngsters' with the majority of seats occupied. 

Personally it took me a while to grasp the concept of the production even though I had took the time, prior to the performance to gain and digest some background knowledge. It did feel quite a long production but as the storyline unraveled, it became evident and clear of the attention to detail the production team had gone to, to ensure the story flowed. 

What a collection of charismatic main characters who all had different stories to perform which periodically overlapped each other. Special mention to Steph Urquhart (Jack's Mother) whose part was small but had an exceptional vocal range, whom charmed and delighted the audience. I hope to see her perform again in other productions. Hannah Devereux (Rapunzel) graced the stage or the tower with her hair and brought many smiles and laughs throughout! 

The whole play is supported by a score of recognisable songs, stunning scenery with a revolving section of the stage, smooth transitions, dramatic lighting and a tremendous live orchestra! 

A couple of minor glitches of sound where background noise could be heard off stage but this did not hinder the performance. 

The highlight for me was not that they 'all lived happily ever after' but the two princes towards end of Act I who sang a duet 'agony.' Alisdair Hurst (Cinderella's Prince) and Mark Horne (Rapunzel's Prince) were sensational and gave a stirring and emotional moment of song. 

A very warm welcome awaits you at The Crescent Theatre and I experienced staff who were all extremely friendly, chatty and helpful. Thank you for a wonderful evening. 

 Personally I would rate the play as 3/5 star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ However for sheer talent and enthusiasm from the cast, costumes and set design/ lighting I would rate it as 5/5 star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️