Into the Woods

What a wonderful show this is, and how magnificently the Young Generation presented it. Conceived with the Grimm brothers firmly to the fore, the well rehearsed piece was performed with energy and enthusiasm to an enthralled audience.

The lighting was most atmospheric with a mysterious mist lying in the depths of the woods. This enabled some ghostly movement to take place upstage. This was particularly evident in the entrances of the Mysterious Man. Despite this darkness in the woods actors were clearly picked out and faces generally visible. Also the highlighting of areas of particular importance was always subtly effected. The shafts of light between the trees illuminated the activities of the characters.

Costumes had been well chosen maintaining the woody feel of the whole production while clearly stating the various characters. Colours were chosen within a limited palette, but were varied and effective. The traditional pantomime medieval was beautifully maintained with considerable attention being given to details and accessories. Despite the apparent limitations at no time did outfits seem contrived and the actors found no problems in wearing them. An amusing contrast was achieved between the different classes of the characters highlighted in the differences between the Sisters and Cinderella. Also ingenious was the matching of costumes. There was no doubt that certain characters belonged together.

The set was well designed with some variation of height catered for and a feel of the trees producing a covering canopy and yet there was plenty of space for the action and the stage never appeared crowded. The fairy-tale books with the house inside worked extremely well.  Once again colour schemes and details were given a high priority without losing definition or becoming indistinctive. As already mentioned the set benefited from some complementary lighting the two areas working effortlessly together.

The excellent band gave full measure to the wonderful score. The amusing additions were clearly stated and the musical jokes brought to the fore. Although an integral part of the whole the balance between band and singers was excellently maintained with the actors getting sympathetic aid from the pit without overwhelming the score. The well rehearsed ensemble work was most impressive with individual lines well maintained and successful blending of voices. The vocal challenges of Sondheim’s characters were ably handled. It was especially enjoyable to hear the score sung with no sign of speak-singing or shouting. The lack of pushing in the vocal production is to be highly commended. The rounded tone of the vowels and the definition of the consonants ensured a pleasant sound and clear diction. In normal circumstances a musical with such a high proportion of singing such as this demands good articulation of the words, but with Sondheim’s intricate word play it is absolutely essential. No-one appeared to have difficulty with this and words sung or spoken were clearly heard. This was partly thanks to some excellent sound enhancement, but chiefly because of the actors’ attention to the words. However good the sound assistance may be it cannot replace poor diction. There was no requirement for aid in this instance.

The characters were clearly defined with strong delivery and vibrant interaction. Each role, whether large or small, was clearly and confidently portrayed. Thought had gone into the preparation of roles and no one presented a superficial character. Everything was held together, until his death, by the highly competent and enthusiastic Narrator and the central story was played out with full measure by the Witch, the Baker & his wife, Jack, Red Riding Hood & Cinderella. In fact everyone contributed strongly to the story telling  Naturally some roles stood out and in every case they were excellently portrayed, but the overall feeling of everyone working together was maintained throughout.

It was a delight to see such dedicated and proficient youngsters led and supported by an amazing team of adults who clearly love their art.

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