Review: INTO THE WOODS, Noël Coward Theatre

If you go down to the West End today, you're sure of a big surprise – the most splendid forest at the heart of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's musical Into the Woods, discovered on the opening night of the West End transfer of this Olivier Award-winning show to the Noël Coward Theatre.

American director Jordan Fein, who imaginatively revamped Fiddler on the Roof, takes us into another ingenious world where the woods become an extra character in the show. Characters clamber between towering trees, get lost and eventually find their way again in a dark, forbidding woodland that's so believable you swear the trees are real. Tom Scutt's remarkable set design is embellished by Aideen Malone's evocative lighting (hands down the best lighting design I've ever seen) offering us smoky beams and dappled rays to evoke a mysterious unearthly place.

That's not to say Scutt's design overshadows the actions of a superb ensemble of actors (some from the earlier cast when the production was at the Bridge Theatre and others new to the West End transfer cast) playing mythical figures in a witty mash-up of Brothers Grimm fairy tales such as Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk. Rather, it seems to enhance their understanding of Sondheim's layered piece through their coming together in ethereal woods where unexpected things happen to those wanting their wishes to come true.

It all begins with Cinderella (Simbi Akande) lamenting the death of her mother, followed by a predatory wolf (marvellous Matthew Seadon-Young also doubling up as a prince) chatting up Gracie McGonigal's feisty Red (who belts out numbers like there's no tomorrow) on her way to see her grandmother. All her intentions of obeying her mother's instructions not to stray from the path resonate strongly today in an increasingly dangerous world where women face danger from all quarters.

At the core is the insertion of a baker and his wife (an excellent pairing of John Dagleish and Laura Pitt-Pulford) earnestly longing for a child. Their witch neighbour (a compelling Kate Fleetwood on top form) will grant their wish if they collect a curious shopping list of items so she can break a spell that's turned her into an ugly woman. They need to find: the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn and the slipper as pure as gold. Not things you uncover in your average Sainsbury's.

They're not the only ones wishing for something in the woods. Other wishes include Cinderella wanting to attend the king's festival (which makes me think of Glastonbury), Little Red Riding Hood wishing to visit her grandmother and Jack (a cheeky Jack Ramsay) wishing his beloved cow Milky White (a delightful puppet) would produce more milk, so he won't have to sell her. Even Fleetwood's Witch wishes for her daughter Rapunzel (Fiona Finsbury) to remain with her. As a mother, I could relate to her poignant and impeccably performed solo "Stay With Me".

Scutt not only excels with his wondrous woodland. He's also designed the costumes, with a varied array from rustic earthy garb for the baker and his wife contrasting with elaborate dresses for wicked step-sisters Florinda and Lucinda (terrific comic timing from Hana Ichijo and Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson), to Cinderella's feathery Met Ball-esque gown, and ludicrous Andre Agassi-like tennis kit accessorised with jumbo-sized codpieces for the camp scene-stealing princes (Lucas Koch and Matthew Seadon-Young). A woman sitting behind me was laughing so hard during the narcissistic princes's comedy duet "Agony" I thought she might collapse.

Does this first-rate production thrive in its new West End home? The jewel box Noël Coward Theatre, with its gilt-speckled Rococo-style interior, is a good match for Sondheim's satirical fairy tale where wishes can come true.

But what of the consequences of those happy-ever-after wishes? Choosing to marry a prince, bear a child and defeating a giant – believed to be a reference to AIDS back in 1986 when the musical was first premiered, and now there are many giants like Trump, climate change and AI – is not as easy as a story book might make us believe.

Scutt's glorious, wooded set on a traditional proscenium-arched stage resembles a child's innocent toy theatre. As well as being thrilling, it also reminds us we will leave the theatre after the show and return to the real world. Along with the awe of this stunning revival, we'll also take with us Sondheim's thoughtful existential themes of loss, grief, the strength of storytelling and the importance of passing the right values onto our children.

Into the Woods runs at the Noël Coward Theatre until 9 January 2027

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