Picture: David Ovenden
Casting has been announced for All Star Productions and Trilby Productions’ fresh new version of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods which is due to play at London’s The Cockpit from 23 May to Sunday 24 June 2018 (press night is 25 May).
Following on from a sold-out run in 2014 at All Star’s home base, Walthamstow’s Ye Olde Rose and Crown, the new production of Sondheim and Lapine’s magical creation has been given a 21st century twist by weaving in popular culture and topical events.
Performed in the round and featuring an ensemble of 17 larger-than-life characters drawn from modern day Britain, the production will once again be directed by Tim McArthur.
McArthur (Assassins, Pleasance Theatre) will also appear on stage as the Baker in a cast that includes Jordan Michael Todd (Pippin, Southwark Playhouse) as the narrator, Jo Wickham (The Comedy of Errors, the Red Lion) who will return to the role of the Baker’s Wife and Michele Moran (Beyond the Fence, The Arts Theatre) as the Witch.
One of the original cast member of Into the Woods at the Phoenix Theatre, Mary Lincoln (La Traviata, Donmar Warehouse) will play Cinderella’s evil stepmother with Abigail Carter-Simpson (Breaking Up is Hard To Do, Upstairs at The Gatehouse) playing Cinderella.
Joining the fairy tale cast will be Florence Odumosu (Shy Tory, The Other Palace) as Little Red Riding Hood; Madeleine MacMahon (Kings, New Diorama) and Jamie O’Donnell (Open Door Sharing, Pleasance Theatre). A drug-using Rapunzel will be performed by Jodie Steele (Myth, The Other Palace) while a paedophile Wolf will be played by Ashley Daniels (The Producers, international tour).
The cast also includes: Francesca Pim (Salad Days, Union Theatre); Jonathan Wadey (The Frogs, Jermyn Street Theatre); Michael Duke (Beautiful – Carole King Musical, Aldwych Theatre); David Pendlebury (The Producers, international tour, China); Christina Thornton (Evita, the Prince Edward Theatre) and Macey Cherrett (Dick Whittington, Cochrane Theatre).
Commenting on the production, McArthur said: “My love for Stephen Sondheim began in 1988 when I went to see a production of Follies at the Shaftesbury Theatre. As I grow older, I find myself unconsciously relooking at Sondheim’s material; its complexity is vast and as an artist, I continue to discover new meanings and feelings about his storytelling.
“Into the Woods is a magnificent piece of theatre and storytelling and, young or old, it’s full of life and lessons that we can all learn from. When we got the rights to do the show back in 2014, I knew I wanted to do something different and fresh with the production, now what Into the Woods meant to me four years ago has further evolved. The fairy tales are so strong and legendary, so I wanted to use that but reinvent the look of the show for a modern audience.”
The production’s musical director, Aaron Clingham added: “I am so thrilled to revisit Into the Woods four years after our original production. This show holds a special place for me as it was the show that first introduced me to the work of Stephen Sondheim almost 15 years ago.
“For a musical director, tackling any Sondheim score is always an exciting challenge – the lyrics are often complex with multiple internal rhymes and the musical motifs and melodies are technically challenging. But I can’t wait to share with audiences my newly reduced orchestration for the show which I have scored for strings and woodwind which is based on Jonathan Tunick’s original parts”
Angela Thomas
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