Reviewer Peter Williams was very glad that he went “Into the Woods” with the Victorian Opera for its latest production of that name. With Sondheim’s music and lyrics and James Levine book, it delighted a full house.
The story line is an inventive mash-up of several fairy-tales: Cinderella with Step Mother and Step Sisters, Little Red Riding Hood, The Charming Princes for Cinderella and Rapunzel, Rapunzel herself, a Witch, Jack, his Mother and a white cow. Into this mix come the childless Baker and his wife – and, of course, no fairy tale should be without its Narrator.
Each character’s introductory motif is “I wish” – and the First Act grants each one. The Second Act explores the consequences of these actions (or non-action) in a very human and sometimes confronting way. (“Into the woods you go again to find a different journey.”)
The opera began with a Prologue to introduce the characters. The action took place with a black drop on the proscenium apron and a door was the entry point for the characters. This setup was starting to look very two dimensional and crowded, but the curtain lifted to reveal the Wood; a basic form of arched, twisting tree trunks with three levels meant there was more room for action. In Act Two the shifting trees and raised tiers gave meaning to the dangers of the woods – both literally and metaphorically.
Act 1 was a delight with very good ensemble acting and it seems unfair to single out the Witch (Queenie van de Zandt). She was wonderfully at home with pantomime conventions (her use of the flaring wand) and the music of Sondheim. Her patter or rap rendition of “He said, ‘All right’!” showed the comedy of Sondheim’s ability to stretch out a moment with repetitive rhymes. Rowan Witt brought out the innocence and vagueness of Jack pulling on all our heart-strings with his attachment to the white cow, while Melissa Langton was his long-suffering but rather greedy Mother.
The introduction of the Wolf (Matthew McFarlane) revealed the underlying sexuality of fairytales. In a double-edged note, he went on to play Prince Charming to Cinderella. Both Princes, Matthew and Jeremy Kleeman, had delightful comic business with their signature stances and grand jetes over the peasants. A highlight of Act 2 was the duet “Agony”. The broad comedy and farce was brought out well by all the characters, though the Aussie twang of the Mysterious Man was a bit jarring.
One of the difficulties of Act Two is to bring what have been stock fairy-tale characters into a more human dimension of family, death, infidelity and loss, learning that what we want has consequences. It asks the audience to look at the characters as real people and the logical repercussions of their actions. The juxtaposition did not sit well when Prince Charming was caught for his infidelity though it was partly overcome by his wonderful line “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.”
Other transitions were beautifully handled: by Queenie in the song “This is the world I meant” and Lucy Maunder as Cinderella with “Mother cannot guide you … No-one is alone”. These two hauntingly emotional songs about children were beautifully sung and showed how Sondheim excels with an absolutely accurate sense of lyric and melody conveying deep emotion. David Harris as The Baker delivered his song about fathers “No more riddles, no more quests” with tears in his eyes; it was the same for many in the audience. Christina O’Neill as his wife came into her own in the second act with both very convincing acting and singing.
Overall the singing was very good, but the women shone through more than the men who sounded a little thin, with the exception of Jeremy Kleeman’s baritone. This might have been a symptom of the sound engineering. Sometimes the balance left individual male voices standing out in ensemble singing too.
Other areas of the creative team worked well too. The costumes of Harriet Oxley were simple, colourful and mainly effective as the strong colours worked well against the starkness of the woods. Though there was some lack of light at the front of the stage, the lighting design ran well – appropriately bright and sinister when needed. The “blood burst” at the slaying of the giant worked very well!
Benjamin Northey conducted the small orchestra with energy and sensitivity, carefully controlling the sound for maximum effect and supporting the singers. He also dealt well with the “bloody toe” that accidentally landed on him in Act 2; hopefully he returned it to the Props department.
This was an upbeat, energetic production bringing out its broad comedy and poignant moments to a very appreciative audience. It is good to see that Victorian Opera’s forays into the world of the musical have been so successful. I thought that Sunday in the Park with George was a little more professional, but Into the Woods is a hugely enjoyable night with wonderful performances.
Peter Williams attended the performance on Wednesday 23 July at the Playhouse.
Production picture is by Jeff Busby.
