Edinburgh University Savoy Opera Group’s performance of Into The Woods awakes a sense of magic and joy in Church Hill Theatre, and whilst emotional, has a genuine sense of silliness and fun importantly not overlooked in the production.
The whole cast deserves enormous credit, bursting into life from the show’s opening note with an energy and chemistry that never dips – despite the three-hour runtime, including interval. Notably, Lauren Green as The Witch and Rosie Wilkinson as The Baker’s Wife give the standout performances. Green’s characterisation, and most importantly her ability to switch between her characters varying facades, means that she dominates the stage especially in her solo performances of ‘Stay With Me’ and ‘Last Midnight.’ Wilkinson pairs perfectly with Shaun Hamilton as a dynamic duo, but Wilkinson’s humour and wit gains the most laughs from her first to final line. However, the best song of the evening was the charmingly chaotic Aisling Ní Dhochartaigh and Max Middleton’s ‘Agony.’ Throughout, orchestral direction was clear and the music flowed excellently, with a lilt of fun between tracks. This was impressive to see, as the score boasts quick changes in tempo, and the beats require precise management and practice.
Extra praise is needed for the set design and costuming crew, whose level of commitment to their vision bring the show together perfectly as the space transitioned seamlessly between plot lines, immersing the audience in the layered fairytale world at the heart of the play. Costuming specifically of Mr Wolf (Cinderella’s Prince) and Little Red stood out particularly in bringing their characters to life.
The performance’s main flaws unfortunately come from technical issues, with some obvious sound effects missing and microphones not turning on, meaning lines were lost. However, this may be a case of ironing out issues over performances, as the show features many characters, effects and songs all requiring complex and careful direction.
As a long-standing fan of Sondheim’s work, I was admittedly apprehensive going into the production, wondering if the magic could still exist in a beloved show I hadn’t returned to in many years. Yet under the colourful lights of Church Hill Theatre, as Cinderella, Jack, Little Red and The Baker come together to sing ‘No One is Alone,’ you can’t help but get shivers as the ensemble unite for the reminder to be ‘careful the wish you make.’
Production Photo by Andrew Morris.