Into the Woods, an award winning Stephen Sondheim musical, tells a delightful tale of a baker and his wife who journey ‘into the woods’ on a quest to lift an evil witch’s curse. They set off in search of an assortment of other fairy tale characters such as Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Cinderella. As the story unfolds, the audience is treated to an enchanting twist to the usual fairy tales we know.
Directed by Tanya Mitford, WAAPA’s third year music theatre students took on this exciting musical and did a wonderful job filling in the intricate characters Sondheim wrote about. Once seated, audience members are whisked away into the world of a father’s tale to his dying son in a hospital ward. Exemplarity narrating by Ainsley Melham, the performance captures audiences in a time capsule, transporting everyone back into the era where fairy tales are one’s reality.
In her director’s notes, Mitford says ‘after immersing myself in this piece, I am anxious to hug my family just that little bit tighter. I can only wish that upon leaving here, you feel the urge to do the same.’ I shan’t be a big mouth and spoil it for you, but I will tell you that you will understand Mitford’s sentiments very clearly after seeing the second half of this hilariously serious musical.
Into the Woods is showing at The Geoff Gibbs Theatre at WAAPA from August 25 to September 1. For more information, check out WAAPA’s website.
Vanessa Manivannen
