WARNING: This review contains mild spoilers
Stars of the future were shining brightly at the Oakwood Centre in Woodley this week for the opening performance of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods.
This shortened version, just an hour in length and performed by youngsters attending Berzerk Productions, contains many of the popular songs and scenes of the film and full-length show, and with enough dialogue to tell the story, but with a reduced score, and (spoiler alert) concludes with a happy ending.
The entire theatre had been converted into a mysterious forest, aided by a back-drop of some clever projections, with different parts of the stage used effectively for various locations, and some ingenious silhouettes for the gruesome scene inside Grandmother’s cottage (more spoilers).
Each of the many principals made the part their own with some thoughtful and creative interpretations.
The pivotal roles of the Baker and his wife (Matthew Copeman and Phoebe Edwards) were very strong with clear dialogue and convincing chemistry. The cheeky, bubbly character of Red Riding Hood was captured perfectly by Emily Edwards.
The sassy moves of the Wolf (Archie Watkins) were reminiscent of the charm brought to the role by Johnny Depp. Fresh from her recent lead role in ‘Sweeny Todd’ Jenna Conneely’s Cinderella had just the right amount of vulnerability, together with a pure, clear soprano voice.
The role of the Witch was carried off well by Grace Oladugbewo who conveyed a range of emotions throughout the play, from threatening the baker to pleading with her daughter to stay at home.
Rapunzel (Lili Eden Sapsford) likewise transformed from helpless teenager to assertive adult in a few short scenes.
Two very strong double-acts brought extra life and energy to the stage: the dim-witted Jack (Jake Eade) and his exasperated mother (Millie Double) adopted matching yokel accents and some comic timing to deliver some excellent pieces of theatre – not forgetting their cow, played by Emily Kays and Ellie Miles, with every moo right on cue.
The second double-act featured Jamie Watkins and Josh Wood, relishing their roles as the two princes attempting to catch the girls of their dreams. The galloping on and off stage accompanied by a steward hitting coconuts together was exploited to full comedic potential.
The narrators (Kieran Relf and Lucy Harmsworth) carried the story along seamlessly but it was a shame that they weren’t miked as some of their words were lost.
Generally the balance of vocals and recorded music was just right, fortunately – as many of Sondheim’s lyrics are too good to be missed.
The team at Berzerk should be rightly proud of another challenging but ultimately professional performance.
The show runs until Saturday, December 22.
Judith Creighton
