Podcast Summary

Podcast: MickeyJoTheatre
Episode: Into The Woods (Bridge Theatre, London) - ★★★ REVIEW
Host: MickeyJoTheatre
Release Date: December 13, 2025

Episode Overview

MickeyJoTheatre reviews the new London revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods at the Bridge Theatre. As a lifelong fan who considers the musical his favorite, Mickey Jo approaches the production with high expectations, dissecting its successes and shortcomings. Informed by a deep love for the material and significant experience with prior stagings, he explores this version’s production choices, performances, design, and emotional impact, ultimately awarding it a respectful but reserved three-star review.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. High Expectations and Critical Eye

• Mickey Jo emphasizes his profound attachment to Into the Woods and the unique challenge this poses for any production.
• "I am starting to feel as though I will never be fully satisfied and delighted by any production of Into the Woods. Not because I don't love the show, but because it is my favourite musical of all time." (01:31)
• The Bridge Theatre’s revival is described as “utterly respectable, momentarily captivating, occasionally enchanting and very nice. But as we learn in the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine written musical, nice is different than good.” (01:31)

2. Summary of the Show's Structure and Themes

• Detailed recounting of the intertwined fairy tale narratives, Act 1’s completion of familiar stories, and Act 2’s shift into explorations of consequences and adult anxieties.
• The show’s brilliance lies in Act 2’s darkness, where “fairy tale characters [are] being brought into contact with real world problems and scenarios… difficult philosophical questions and human realities." (03:30-06:15)
• Explores the meta-theatrical themes of storytelling, generational legacy, and morality.

3. Production Approach: Direction, Set, and Tone

• This revival, directed by Jordan Fine, designed by Tom Scutt, and lit by Aideen Malone, leans heavily into darkness, even in Act 1.
• "British productions, by and large, really lean into the darkness of the whole thing… It's almost to the extent that we're kind of tonally doing Act 2 in Act 1 already, which… is a little to the detriment of that first act." (13:45)
• The much-lauded set transforms between acts, with Act 2 revealing a deforested, ravaged landscape—“my favorite detail...the floor has split open, leaving this small gulf...a little akin to perhaps a giant's footprint.” (18:20)

4. Character & Performance Analysis

Kate Fleetwood as the Witch

• Praised for balancing sorrowful drama and sharp comic timing in line with the character’s complexity.
• "I don't know that any I've seen live have really been able to achieve both facets...the way that Kate Fleetwood does." (20:44)
• "The witch in this production...was also the only person who was really able to land the great moral lines." (24:30)

Other Standouts

• Misa Dawnford-May as Cinderella: Praised for her realism and edge, though perhaps lacking the arc from innocence to disillusionment.
• Gracie McGonagall as Little Red: “Very bratty, stubborn, childish characterization… was fantastic.” (27:40)
• Joe Foster as Jack: “Never sounded better. Some really lovely vocal tone.” (27:25)
• Jamie Parker (Baker) and Katie Braben (Baker’s Wife): Strong actors but struggle to connect emotionally under the production's tonality; the Baker’s Wife, in particular, doesn’t earn her big moments until late in the show.

Puppetry & Comedy

• Milky White as a small handheld puppet: “More closely resembling a childhood toy...hilariously reacting…” (16:10)
• Comedic moments land unevenly—sometimes at odds with the grim tone.

5. Design, Lighting, and Technical Aspects

• Strong praise for Tom Scutt’s set and costume design and Aideen Malone’s innovative lighting, including shadow puppetry, foot lighting for musical numbers, and creative costuming (Cinderella’s “greyer…textured and stunning” gown, Rapunzel’s ladder hair).
• “The way that the giant is realized…just the silhouette of a giant cast across the stage…in the trembling shadow…it felt like they're all going to get squashed at any minute. Suddenly it felt dangerous and fearful…” (23:15)
• Merchandise comment: “Do you know how much I would have paid for a puppet Milky White? Please, somebody take my money.” (25:53)

6. Music & Staging Critique

• Music direction (Mark Aspinall): Orchestration mostly “gorgeous, perfect, quintessential Into the Woods,” but some moments felt musically out of sync or oddly sung.
• Some standout staging moments (Fleetwood’s “Last Midnight”, Braben’s baker’s wife initiating the kiss in “Any Moment”).
• Some musical purism noted: the original lyrics used rather than recent revisions, which Mickey Jo ultimately prefers.

7. Inconsistent Tonal Identity

• The overall darkness, while stylish and atmospheric, leaves the show feeling emotionally cold and minimally affecting.
• “I did not cry nearly as much as I wanted to. I did not laugh nearly as much as I wanted to. I found this sort of inherently cold and perhaps minimally emotionally affecting.” (36:59)
• Struggles to balance “the inherently challenging balance of comedy and darkness that performers and creatives alike always seem to struggle with a little bit when it comes to this show.” (43:05)
• Wishes the production had gone even bleaker if that was the chosen aesthetic, especially in the second act (“Why not have a version where Jack’s mother is...beaten to death in cold blood on the floor…Go that dark, go that bleak.” [34:12])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On expectations:
  "Such that when I perceive any individual production to be falling short of that, it feels disappointing." (02:15)

• On Act 2 turning point:
  "We see desperation and selfishness and the inclination to flee and to absolve yourself of responsibility, to protect your children, to protect yourself, to do the right thing, to seek vengeance, to question what the right thing even is…” (05:50)

• Regarding Kate Fleetwood’s brilliance:
  "I've been desperate for the longest time to see a witch who could really make it funny on stage, and she does. She lands a lot of the biggest laughs in the show, but she also has these captivatingly intense moments." (21:48)

• On design ingenuity:
  "Rapunzel's wig...ingeniously, wittily is braided in the shape of a ladder with rungs she lowers out of her tower." (26:20)

• Emotional impact:
  "I would always love for [Baker’s Wife’s death] to punch me in the gut. And so few moments of this production really punched me, the gut in general." (36:27)

• Final summary:
  "Somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic, someone is staging the most perfect production of Into the Woods. And while I have yet to see a production I truly think is extraordinary, I live in hope that someday I shall." (43:20)

Important Timestamps

• 01:31 — Opening thoughts; personal history and high stakes
• 03:30-06:15 — Show synopsis, Sondheim and Lapine’s intentions, importance of Act 2
• 13:45 — Discussion of British vs. American approaches and this production’s darkness
• 16:10-18:20 — Set, staging, and the transformation between acts
• 20:44–27:40 — Deep dive into performances, puppetry, technical elements
• 34:12 — Commentary on the need for intensity and dark choices in Act 2
• 36:59 — Emotional response and issues with tone/cohesion
• 43:05–43:20 — Final verdict and the host’s ongoing search for the perfect staging

Conclusion

MickeyJoTheatre's verdict on the Bridge Theatre's Into the Woods balances admiration for the production's strong design, top-tier technical work, and standout moments (especially Kate Fleetwood's Witch and certain innovative stagecraft), with disappointment in its emotional resonance and tonal inconsistencies. The high expectations set by Sondheim’s classic—and Mickey Jo’s own history with the show—make for a demanding review, capturing both a deep appreciation of the material and a longing for a version that fully captures the show’s dizzying highs and piercing depths.

Recommendation:
Despite reservations, Mickey Jo encourages theatre fans to see the production for themselves, underscoring the enduring richness of the material and the creative ambition on display.

For more theatre reviews and discussion, Mickey Jo encourages following his YouTube channel and social platforms.