Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods was chosen by the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) as this year's showcase musical. Directed by Jake Smith, the production uses the young company well, allowing every performer to shine. With a larger main ensemble cast, beautiful musical numbers and an exciting and fun plot, this musical is the perfect choice.
The young company do an incredible job on this production, honouring the musical with exceptional talent and creating a wonderful theatre experience. With creative set, dramatic lighting and sound, innovative creative decisions, and a strong sense of community, it's easy to say the musical theatre industry is in safe hands.
The main ensemble cast do a fantastic job, bringing the best out of the characters. Olly Adams brings a sweet and earnest perspective to the Baker, honing in on the emotion maturity of the character's development. Phoebe Connolly as Little Red Riding Hood is a strong performer, whose performance exudes childish mirth and confidence. Xanthe Gibson as the Witch steals every scene that she is in, with a charmingly cheeky portrayal of the exasperated Witch, with a flair in her acting and impressive vocals. Matilda Shapland is phenomenal as Rapunzel, with her mesmerising vocals and heart breaking performance. Freddie Tickle as Cinderella's Prince is utterly delightful in the role, delivering a winning and unforgettable performance.
Sophie Lagden as the Baker's Wife is the show's standout performer, with a mature performance, proving that she is a young performer to watch out for. Ronav Jain as Jack was wonderful, bringing a new spark into the show. Keziah Ibe as Cinderella is dazzling with beautiful vocals and great acting. Maya Waghorn as the Wolf is humorous, and brings a new take on the character.
The larger ensemble begin and guide the story, by narrating, quite literally, the book. Framed as an extended and shared storytelling evening around a campfire, the ensemble shape the story well, allowing the characters from the book to become fully realised and living beings. The ensemble is often sat at the edge or front of the stage, watching the scenes play out, and there's a charm to this decision.
However, this does make the first act feel overwhelming at times, with a hefty portion of the plot of Into the Woods unfolding and the entire company on stage. The stage is quite small and with the large set and ensemble around, there isn't much space for the primary cast to perform. The second act is tighter, concentrating more on the main ensemble cast, with the company providing additional effects when necessary. This creates a more magical feeling when the ensemble come in to narrate, or become birds with the help of flapping books or extra effects.
The set (Libby Todd) is beautifully built, incorporating the Woods. Trees and wooden levelling helps set up a tree house like set, whilst also providing a dense wood appearance. The ensemble do also step in as certain trees and bushes when needed. The lighting and sound design (Aaron Dootson and Josh Robins) create impressive effects, particularly of earth quakes and the Witch's flourishes of lighting.
The choreography (Denni Sayers) during ensemble numbers is mesmerising to watch as the 30 young performers take Sondheim's great work in their stride. The band (Nick Chave), formed entirely by the young company, do an amazing job, never missing a beat and playing wholeheartedly.
NYMT's Into the Woods is a brilliant production and the young company should be proud of what they've created. An impressive staging that moves and breathes life into the wonderful musical. NYMT will also be performing Our House and Catastrophe Bay as part of their 2024 season - for more information, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography by Harry Elleston
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