Into the Woods - 4.5 out of 5 stars
State Opera South Australia
TICKETS: https://www.stateopera.com.au/productions/2026/into-the-woods
State Opera South
Australia’s Into the Woods places Stephen Sondheim and James
Lapine’s celebrated musical at the intersection of fairy tale, opera and
psychological drama. Built in Adelaide and performed by an exceptional
all-South-Australian cast, the production treats the forest not as an escape
from reality, but as a place where desire is tested—and where every wish
carries consequences.
Into the Woods interweaves characters from familiar European
fairy tales with an original story about a Baker and his Wife who enter the
woods to break a witch’s curse. The musical sets up “once upon a time” and then
examines what follows. Its first act fulfils the conventions of the fairy tale;
its second interrogates them, exploring the danger of confusing desire with
happiness.
At the heart of
the production is the magnificent score, performed by the Adelaide Symphony
Orchestra. Their rich performance becomes the production’s dramatic engine,
carrying the characters into the forest, intensifying their pursuit and
revealing the consequences that follow under the baton of Anthony Hunt. Hunt’s
musical leadership lies in balancing the precision of Sondheim’s writing with
the emotional currents beneath it, allowing the orchestra to preserve the intricate
detail while giving the score the warmth, danger and momentum.
Hugh Sheridan makes a warmly human Baker, grounding the
production with an appealing mixture of uncertainty, determination and
tenderness. He gives the Baker genuine emotional weight as he moves from the
simple pursuit of a child to the far more difficult responsibilities of
fatherhood.
Opposite Sheridan, Johanna Allen brings intelligence,
vitality and emotional complexity to the Baker’s Wife. She is wonderfully alert
to the character’s humour and appetite for adventure, while allowing the deeper
restlessness beneath her wishes to emerge.
Jessica Dean gives Cinderella a splendid combination of
vulnerability, grace and quiet resolve. Rather than presenting Cinderella as passive
or dreamy, she becomes a young woman trying to understand what she wants once
the fantasy has been fulfilled.
The youngest of the cast at 17, Eliza Brill Reed is terrific
as Little Red Riding Hood, bringing bright comic confidence and a deliciously
unpredictable energy to the role. Her performance captures both Red’s cheeky
bravado and the darker, more unsettling lessons she absorbs in the forest. She may
be the youngest, but she confidently holds her own space and is respected.
As the Witch, Rosie Hosking commands the stage with a
powerful presence and a rich sense of theatrical danger. Beneath the sharpness
and spectacle, she finds her loneliness and wounded humanity. There was a very
awkward lapse in action as we waited for Hosking’s entrance at one point,
however, her vocal performances of both “The Last Midnight” and “Children Will Listen”
were highlights in Act 2.
Nicholas Lester provides a strong and engaging dual
performance as the Narrator and the Mysterious Man, navigating the production between
storytelling, commentary and personal revelation with considerable skill. There
is wit and sorrow in his connection to the world he constructs. Lester’s “No
More” was marvellous.
Joey Haenen brings an endearing openness to Jack, making his impulsiveness feel rooted in wonder rather than foolishness. He gives a touching emotional directness when the consequences of his actions catch up with him.
Catherine Campbell is excellent as Jack’s Mother, combining
exasperation, humour and fierce maternal concern. She brings sharp definition
to every exchange while ensuring that the character’s frustrations remain
recognisably human.
Jessica Mills makes a vivid impression in her roles as Rapunzel and Cinderella’s Mother, bringing vocal clarity and a strong sense of character to both parts.
Cherie Boogaart relishes the opportunity to move between
Stepmother, Granny and the Giant, giving each role its own theatrical flavour
while contributing to the production’s broad fairy-tale imagination. The Giant
becomes an imposing and unforgettable presence through the combined force of
Boogaart’s performance and the production’s design and sound work.
Eleanor Brasted and Michaela Burger make an entertaining
partnership as Lucinda and Florinda. Their comic timing, expressive physicality
and finely judged sense of sisterly rivalry allow the stepsisters to remain
deliciously absurd.
Nicholas Cannon’s Cinderella’s Prince and the Wolf shifts confidently between seductive charm and predatory menace. His Prince is knowingly ridiculous, while his Wolf brings a darker, more instinctive energy to the forest.
Andrew Crispe gives Rapunzel’s Prince a polished and earnest
presence, bringing the right touch of romantic self-importance to the role. “I
was raised to be charming, not sincere…” will always be the favourite quote.
Mark Oates is warmly effective as Cinderella’s Father,
finding the comedy in the character’s distracted domesticity. Rob Schultz adds
further energy and precision as the Steward, making the most of a role that
depends on timing, clarity and an ability to respond to the increasingly
chaotic world around him.
Set and Costume
Designer Jonathon Oxlade creates a forest that feels all at once enchanting,
playful and unsettling. His costumes embrace the visual language of the fairy
tale, allowing each character to emerge with a clear, memorable, and
contemporary identity. Oxlade’s work supports the production’s movement between
wonder and danger, ensuring that the stage remains as alive, surprising and
full of possibility.
One of the
production’s most remarkable technical achievements is the collaboration
between Lighting Designer Bernie Tan-Hayes and Sound Designer Jamie Mensforth.
Working in tandem, they give the Giant a presence that is colossal, immediate
and genuinely larger than Her Majesty’s Theatre itself. There were, however, microphone
cues that didn’t always land as cleanly, with some lines unheard at various
points throughout the performances.
Into the Woods and Hansel and Gretel form
the twin centrepieces of State Opera South Australia’s Golden Jubilee Season.
They also share a creative team and a common imaginative terrain, though their
forests offer different kinds of enchantment and danger. Presented within the
same fortnight, the two productions invite audiences to consider how fairy
tales give form to fear, desire and transformation, while demonstrating the
breadth of theatrical storytelling possible within South Australia’s opera
house.
If you’ve seen one – go and see the other. If you haven’t seen either, go and see both!
- Andrew Broadbent
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