“Cast – stunning. Songs and instrumental mastery – flawless.“
Vincent Andriano
4 Stars
Belvoir
To April 30
Stephen Sondheim’s artistry is given another powerful run on stage, as Into The Woods opens at Belvoir. The 35 year old musical romp begins, of course, with “Once Upon A Time…” and intertwines six beloved fairytales by sending well-known characters into the woods only to encounter dark yet funny twists full of dynamic lessons.
Cast – stunning. Songs and instrumental mastery – flawless. Executing an excellent adaptation of a glorious classic – in the bag… for the most part.
If there is one aspect that lets this rendition down it might be the set dressing – or partially lack there of? The script itself is largely a cheeky, fun-poking satire, told with exquisite poignancy. One might argue that such satire would lend itself nicely to the confetti and explosive streamers trickery of this production, almost as a charmingly whimsical hint not to take any of this too seriously. Unfortunately, I can’t say this choice of party decorations pantomime quite hit the mark for me. HOWEVER, I HASTEN TO ADD, while I might have desired a more theatrical spectacles, this could be the very kind of ‘wishful thinking’ that the context of the play warns against! Some of the more successful gags were moments of tossing glitter when certain characters would “magically” appear and disappear, as well as an inspired skateboard moment for the witch. And it should be mentioned that the synchronicity of each technical effect was orchestrated perfectly. It is also important to note that the sheer scope of this show is no small feat, not only for the broad settings it establishes, but also its incredibly multifaceted narrative. Frankly, given all its strengths, perhaps it was the very clear intention of director Eamon Flack to prove that with material THIS endearing, when the actors, music, and overall transitional blocking are top notch, the play stands alone without too many overwhelming bells and whistles. Because, let me tell you… what a show!
A specific colour pallet had a well maintained continuity with the little toy-like houses brought on stage to differentiate the narratives. This bled into Micka Agosta‘s costume design, distinguishing the character’s respective stories through tone and seemingly pulling the clothes from different eras, yet still keeping them timeless all at once. Almost as if trying to translate the characters’ personality in every time period that said personality may have existed. First to come to mind are the comedic gems Stefanie Caccamo and Andrew Coshan who played (among other characters) the wicked step sisters, donning lofty, Marie Antoinette wigs with skintight and ruffled, almost 80s hoochie dresses. Then there was the role of the Witch, who’s arresting design was something of a cross between Miss Havisham and Stevie Nicks, and her transformation was even more dazzling (no spoilers). Tamsin Carroll shone as the scorned sorceress hungry to regain her beauty. With her wit, harsh yet tender objectives and a glorious set of belt-em-out pipes, Carroll was a stand out among this troupe of brilliance.
Honestly, the whole ensemble was gobsmackingly good. Their craft, by scene or by song, is worth the ticket alone. Further honorable mentions must be given to Shubshri Kandiah who, from her angelic voice to her elastic leaping away at many midnights, gave perfect homage to this Cinderella and her dreams vs reality crisis. The irrepressible Tim Draxl was electrifying at the hungry-for-more-than- food Wolf, as well as joining Coshan to make a priceless pair of Princes. Their rendition of the duet ‘Agony’ was wonderfully hilarious. And as the pragmatic and morally conscious Bakers Wife, Esther Hannaford brings an utterly relatable modern humanity to the role, all the while beguiling us with her mellifluous singing.
But the star of this show remains to be the enduring power of the text. Themes that can be summed up in some stand out lyrics like:
“Oh, if life were made of moments, Even now and then a bad one!
But if life were only moments,
Then you’d never know you had one!”
“Sometimes people leave you Halfway through the wood Others may deceive you
You decide what’s good
You decide alone”
These and so many more lyrical jewels are the heartbeat of any Into The Woods production – this one is no exception. And how better to evoke the message to be “Careful the tale(s) you tell, That is the spell. Children will listen…” than by reimagining those very children’s tales through the lens of absurdity, a smattering of harsh truths, and fabulously exposing the flip side of “happily ever after”. Its genius is almost magical.
For an enchanting show the whole family will love, go see Into The Woods playing upstairs at Belvoir St Theatre from March 18 to April 30.
Vincent Andriano, Theatre Now
