Once upon a time in a far off kingdom… We all love fairy tales right, well I do. Especially when it’s a musical. I recently had the pleasure of seeing ‘Watch This’ production of Stephen Sondheims and James Lapines Into the Woods. A Musical Intertwining the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters wishes and quests. With the message ultimately being, be carful what you wish for.

‘Watch This’, adaption of this beloved musical was a delight to behold. Walking in you were immersed in the simple yet gorgeous set, stage design (set up in a round sort of style) by Sarah Tulloch. Which made for the atmosphere of waking into the woods.

Sodheims score is by no means easy and the cast of only 12 did a stella job, some even playing two characters, which is never an easy task, so one can help but admire them for how effortlessly they did that.

Cherine Peck’s Witch was a crowd pleaser and a clear stand out. Nailing the challenging role, big vocals and bringing the right amount of fright. I might even add at some points I felt like I was listening to Meryl Streep. Nick Simpson-Deeks Prince/Wolf was another stand out performance, his rich warm vocals were absolutely perfect for the prince, added with the comedic timing of the role and interaction with the audience was hilarious. His wolf on the other hand was spine chilling in all the right ways and demanding stage presence impressive.

Over all ‘Watch This’ production of Into the Woods made you beam with pride and be ever so thankful theatre is back. And remember no one is alone.

x Steph