REVIEWS

A cocktail of dark comedy and fantasy for Palace Theatre as Into The Woods brings fairy tale twist to Redditch.

The cast of Into The Woods were overwhelmed with emotion as they returned to stage for the first time in two years for Wednesday night’s opening show at Redditch’s Palace Theatre.  

Dynamik Theatre’s adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s musical treated the audience to a magical blend of classic fairy tales, all of which take a dark but comical turn, as they seamlessly intertwine with one another.  

The show cleverly follows the story of Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Jack and the Beanstalk, exploring the – sometimes fatal – consequences of each character’s wishes and quests.  

Speaking about the opening performance, which took place on Wednesday, Artistic Director and Founder of Dynamik Theatre Jamie Poxon said: “The show was very, very good and the audience loved it. I’m so proud of everyone who’s helped make the production such a success.  

“It’s been a tough few years for us all, so to deliver an opening show as they did is just amazing.”  

With the production showcasing aspiring performers as young as nine working alongside accomplished actors who have been in the industry for more than 30 years, the cast is bursting with diversity, undeniable experience, and ground-breaking talent.    

Steph Westwood who plays the witch, sensationally bought her character to life thanks to her remarkable voice and ability to successfully translate many of the emotions that come with motherhood, through her outstanding performance.  

The voice of Cinderella was second-to-none thanks to actor Annabel Pilcher, whose delicate demeanour contrasted well with that of mischievous Little Red, played by Louisa Gould, whose fearless teenage traits shone throughout.   

The glue of the show was rising star Mitchell Brown, who triumphantly managed to tie each snippet of the various tales together as narrator thanks to his confident stage presence.  

“I knew this show would be a challenge, it’s a big show, mammoth in fact and took everyone out of their comfort zone - but I always like a challenge,” explained Jamie, adding: “But I wanted to give the Palace Theatre something new.  

“And making a success of the show was even more important after the great Stephen Sondheim sadly died last year. Sondheim was iconic in the arts industry and our performance hopefully paid tribute to him from everyone at Dynamik Theatre, in our own special way.”  

With the production delayed a year due to the pandemic, this was the first time for many of those involved to be back performing in front of a live audience in two years.  

“I can’t describe just how good it felt having people actually watching the show again. It was a bit surreal actually,” added Jamie.  

“It’s not just the cast either, it’s the musicians, the set and costume designers, and those who work backstage – we all do this because we want to make theatre and that really is all we’ve wanted to do over the past two years.  

“It’s been horrible not being able to perform, in fact, it's been absolutely heartbreaking, but we’re back and we can all start doing what we love again.”  

Rehearsals for the show started back in August, with Jamie saying the first time the team met up was “very emotional”.  

“There were lots of tears, it was the first time all of the cast and crew members have been together in 18 months. It was very moving."  

Further performances of Into The Woods will be taking place at the Palace Theatre tonight (Thursday 10th February) and Friday at 7.30pm, with two performances on Saturday, at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.  Buy your tickets for the show here.