When Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine‘s audacious musical “Into the Woods” arrives at the Bridge Theatre this December, London audiences will have their first opportunity in over a decade to experience this beloved classic in the West End.
The production, running from December 3, 2025, to May 30, 2026, intertwines Brothers Grimm fairy tales with a story about a baker and his wife on a quest to reverse a curse.
Director Jordan Fein brings fresh vision to this 1980s classic, where familiar characters like Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Ridinghood, and Rapunzel collide in unexpected ways.
Fein reimagines the fairy tale classic with unexpected collisions between iconic characters in a fresh, provocative staging.
The narrative unfolds in two distinct acts: the first follows the baker gathering ingredients to lift a curse, while the second explores the consequences when a giant disrupts their “happily ever after.”
The stellar cast features Jamie Parker delivering a charismatic, emotional performance as the Baker, particularly moving in “No More.”
Katie Brayben shines as the Baker’s Wife with her vocal highlight “Moments In The Woods.”
The ensemble includes Chumisa Dornford-May as Cinderella, Bella Brown as Rapunzel, and Kate Fleetwood delivering a spellbinding “Last Midnight” as the Witch.
Tom Scutt’s set design transforms the Bridge Theatre into living, breathing woods with textured tree trunks that allow for cast interaction throughout the performance.
This immersive approach extends to the production’s storytelling, where a Narrator breaks the fourth wall to enhance audience engagement.
Performances run Monday through Saturday evenings at 7:30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2:30pm.
Accessibility options include a captioned performance on January 30 and an audio-described performance with touch tour on February 21.
The Bridge Theatre, accessible via London Bridge or Tower Hill tube stations, provides the perfect venue for this production that Radio Times has awarded a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, calling it a “sheer force of nature.”
The show’s exploration of wishes, consequences, and the realities behind fairy tales offers audiences a deeper look at these familiar stories.
The production showcases Sondheim’s exquisite musical score that masterfully blends dialogue with song to create moments of both humor and emotional depth.
The comedic highlights include the princes’ duet “Agony,” performed brilliantly by Oliver Savile and Rhys Whitfield.
Audiences should note that the production includes themes of grief and death, as well as theatrical effects such as haze, loud noises, and periods of absolute darkness in the auditorium.
