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Into The Woods

 
Olivia Thompson Review by Olivia Thompson 4 Published: 23 Apr 2026 The Bridge Theatre Show Dates: 2 Dec 2025-30 May 2026

Fresh off the announcement that Into the Woods will transfer to London’s West End this autumn comes the production's first cast change at the Bridge Theatre. It is a remarkably strong ensemble, featuring Melanie La Barrie (Hadestown) as the Witch, Rachel Tucker (Wicked) as the Baker’s Wife, John Owen-Jones (Les Misérables) as Narrator/Mysterious Man, Jack Quarton (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as the Steward, and Jodie Jacobs (Fiddler on the Roof) as Standby. Hughie O’Donnell (King Lear), previously performing as the Steward, assumes the role of the Baker.

Melanie La Barrie’s Witch is both horrible and horribly entertaining.

The new performers are more than a match for these theatrical woods. The production remains a vocal-first endeavour; Rachel Tucker provides a riveting stand-out moment with her rendition of Moments in the Wood, while John Owen-Jones deftly weaves the vocal and spoken-word requirements of his two roles in an approach that feels almost effortless.

Melanie La Barrie’s Witch succeeds in achieving scene-stealer status amongst an ensemble that is already uniformly excellent; she is both horrible and horribly entertaining. Her layered approach to the character fully earns the lyrical pay-off in Last Midnight, in which she eviscerates her fairytale companions for their binary approach to good, evil, wrong and right.

This production remains a clear standout among theatre shows in 2026, with eleven nominations and two wins (Best Revival, Best Lighting Design) at the recent Olivier Awards. It offers exceptionally creative choices across lighting and video design, allowing all creatures, big and small – from twittering birds to roaring giants – to roam the auditorium. The set design is equally enchanting. The bold, magical forest of Act One falls victim to the rage of a giant in Act Two, driving the thematic shift of the musical from sprightly fairytale to a precarious confrontation with real-world troubles.

The only lacklustre aspect of this production is its own book and score. Into the Woods makes an engaging and challenging move with its mid-point tonal shift; however, the ending is mildly anticlimactic. Without unprecedented intervention to the original work, this is something with which all productions must contend, and Jordan Fein’s production does not seek to rework the original story structure. Accordingly, this is a brilliant adaptation of somewhat underwhelming source material.

Into the Woods, directed by Jordan Fein with set and costume design by Tom Scutt, plays the Bridge Theatre until Saturday 30 May 2026, before transferring to the Noël Coward Theatre this autumn.

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The Blurb:

Why would you go into the woods? To sell the cow To lift the spell To visit mother To see the king Or maybe to find yourself? In Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s dazzling musical, the Baker, the Baker’s Wife, the Witch, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Rapunzel take us beyond happy ever after to discover what really matters.