Reading programmes can be very useful when you are a lazy
blogger. Snitch a couple of the director’s choice phrases and you can sum up a
show quicker than any original thought. Useful approach. Leaves more time for
the serious things like which nag is going to run fastest at Epsom Downs on
Saturday. But, as it is with horses, be careful what you wish for. Especially
if you are a character in Sondheim’s Into
The Woods. Idyllic realised dreams quickly turn to painful ash. Or that’s
the gist of it. Don’t stray off the path, be late leaving the ball, or buy a
bag of doubtful beans. A moral for life. It says so in the programme.
Into the Woods is no Company or A Little Night
Music, too theatrically lite for that, but it has Mr Sondheim’s sumptuous
musical tones and rhythms. And scintillatingly clever words. I’m a big fan of
this marmite composer, and yes that is in the programme. And he cleverly links
the fabled fairy tales with the narrative glue of a likeable baker and his
seemingly barren wife and an omniscient narrator who presides over both charm
and chaos. Do it badly though and it would be a pretty dreary evening for those
of us who feed off stronger dramatic fare. Thoughts of painted wooded
backcloths and weak performers make one shudder. There was never any danger of
that here. St Andrew's Players wheeled out Alistair Brown from the Rep. And he has serious
inventive form. We got a magnificent towering wooden structure to frame and
highlight all the action, some ingenious staging moments, and a neat
split narrative from the Brothers Grimm. Mr Brown is a clever bugger, and no it
does not say that in the programme. Perhaps it should.
But no matter how you wrap it up you need folks to perform
it. Individually I could be sniffy about one or two but collectively this
company zinged. Acting was generally strong and singing even better. Too many
good numbers to list but amongst the best were Hello Little Girl (Wolf and Red Riding Hood), Giants in the Sky (Jack), Agony
(Princes), Witch’s Lament (Witch), Moments in the Woods (Baker’s Wife), and
No One is Alone (Quartet). In acting
terms Jenna Ryder-Oliver (Witch) and
Emma Orr (Red Riding Hood) were
outstanding for richly crafted portrayals and they were well matched by
excellent performances from Jamie Pritchard (Jack),
Frances Hall (Baker’s Wife), and
David Mills (Wolf and Prince). Andy
Whalley and Adam Butcher combined nicely as the Grimm brothers and I
particularly liked Mr Butcher’s secondary role as a very camp royal courtier in
fetching top hat. It’s my age. Hayley Vaughan sang beautifully as Cinderella but
she needs to sharpen up her acting skills to totally please and the Baker of John O’Leary,
engaging and convincing as he was, seemed a little unsure on lines in some of
his scenes. Happens to us all, live theatre is like that. In the smaller roles,
there were a lot of them, I particularly warmed to Amy Hansford (Cinderella’s Stepmother) and Stephanie Overington (Florinda)
for supremely controlled performances of two rather nasty folk. The very young
and highly talented Miss Overington is, in my opinion, destined for greater
things on the stage.
Mr Brown is probably thinking he is too old to be destined
for greater things but he can be well pleased with this one. Crackling from the
mikes irritated at times and, surprisingly, some of David Houghton’s generally
excellent lighting was occasionally late on cue. Must be that Saturday night,
last night, feeling. But overall, aided by smashing musical director (Beth
Thomas) and clever and eye catching choreography (Lynette Driver) he gave us a
show that rarely flagged and generally tingled. I loved the depiction of
Grandma Wolf’s bed, extremely clever, and even if not original in conception
the execution of it was magnificent. Am told he got the idea whilst wandering
around Regent’s Park. Nothing wrong with that. I get lots of my best ideas when
wandering around in parks. Parks not woods. Read the Police Gazette if you
don’t believe me. Certainly won’t find it in any theatre programme. Roy Hall.
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