Review Round-Up: INTO THE WOODS at the Bridge Theatre

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s dazzling, enchanting musical blends together a string of fairy tales to create a thrilling, epic story where characters like the Baker, the Baker’s Wife, the Witch, Jack, Little Red Ridinghood, Cinderella and Rapunzel go on a quest to search for what really matters beyond happily ever after. Directed by Jordan Fein with set and costume designed by Tom Scutt, Into the Woods is playing at the Bridge Theatre until 30th May 2026.

What are critics saying about Into the Woods?

TimeOut

“Jordan Fein’s revival of the fairytale-filled Sondheim classic is pure magic”

★★★★★

Andrzej Lukowski found the musical “both playful and profound, mischievous and sincere, cleverly meta but also a ripping yarn.” James Lapine’s book, he thought, “does a tremendous job twisting the convoluted narrative into droll, accessible shape”, while Sondheim’s “lush, motif-saturated score of baroque nursery rhymes feels as vividly alive as the forest itself.” He also praised the “exceptional casting”, writing, “Gracie McGonigal is absolutely wonderful” and “Oliver Savile is a hoot”, while “Kate Fleetwood walks off with woman of the match”. He was also impressed by Tom Schutt’s set design and thought his costumes were “ravishing”, working well with “subtle but effective projections” from video designer Roland Horvath. His conclusion: “a sublime production of a sublime musical with a sublime cast.”

Read the review here.

WhatsOnStage

“Magical moments in the woods”

★★★★★

Sarah Crompton was also full of praise for “Scutt’s vividly coloured and carefully textured costumes” and Horvath’s video designs, as well as “Jenny Ogilvie’s low-key but distinctive movement direction.” “Within this perfect frame, the cast shape their stories,” she wrote, going on to express her admiration of the cast, which she found “strong-voiced and subtle, they bring fictive characters to grounded life”, particularly Kate Fleetwood’s Witch, who is “full of power but also very funny.” “Chumisa Dornford-May is an extraordinarily clear and charismatic Cinderella” and “Bella Brown a sweet singing and tortured Rapunzel.” Her verdict: “This is the most sophisticated and clever production, confident in every aspect.”

Read the review here.

The Times

“Sondheim at its best, a five-star triumph”

★★★★★

Clive Davis found the production “sharp, propulsive and often very funny.” He praised the “stunning set and costume designs by Tom Scutt and extraordinarily atmospheric lighting by Aideen Malone” and called the cast “magnificent”. Dornford-May, he wrote, is “a triumphant Cinderella”, while Foster is “an irrepressible Jack”. “The musical director Mark Aspinall’s 12-piece orchestra is elegance itself,” he wrote. He enjoyed the climactic performance of ‘No One is Alone’ and thought “it’s hard to imagine a production that does a better job of tying all the themes and subthemes together and actually making you care about the characters.”

Read the review here.

Oliver Savile and Hughie O'Donnell in INTO THE WOODS at the Bridge Theatre. Photo by Johan Persson.

The Guardian

“Brothers Grimm gloriously mashed up by Sondheim”

★★★★

Arifa Akbar found the musical “brilliantly drawn and sung”, commenting that “ordan Fein’s production shimmers and shines with all the humour and pathos of these errant fairytale characters.” “The cast bring bags of charm,” she wrote, particularly Fleetwood’s Witch, who is “both comically evil and wronged.” She found Scutt’s costume design “elegant”, and thought the characters looked “real and rustic and it endows them with a grownup humanity”. She concluded: “This production has none of the broadness or festive spirit of a Christmas show or panto, but the wonder and magic of both.”

Read the review here.

The Independent

“A thing of lush and arresting beauty”

★★★★

Louis Chilton called it “a lavish production that plays to the musical’s strengths”, full of just the right amount of spectacle. She appreciated Fein’s “fairly down-the-line approach” to a musical that is “so rich, so complexly artful.” Though there is “no radical reinvention in characterisation or staging”, she felt “the big moments feel enormous.” Of the cast, she thought “Brayben, Fleetwood, and Dornford-May are terrific, while Michael Gould is an enjoyably ramshackle narrator.” She also thought “the set design, costume design (by Tom Scutt) and lighting (by Aideen Malone), is stellar.” She concluded: “Fein and co have treated this musical with the care and seriousness it deserves.”

Read the review here.

The Telegraph

“Into the Woods is theatre’s classiest Christmas show”

★★★★

Dominic Cavendish thought this production was “a classy alternative to panto yet is richly detailed enough long to outlive the festive season.” He wrote, “A plot that could easily become convoluted is instead brisk and hypnotic.” He found Scutt’s set design impressive in evoking the magical woodland scene. On the musical’s themes, he was pleased that “a sense of knowing… prevents things from becoming too earnest”, and praised the climactic number ‘No One Is Alone’ as “an invaluable hymn to solidarity and endurance.” “That sophistication is matched by nuanced, vocally commanding performances in the ensemble,” he wrote, praising in particular Dornford-May, Brayben, and Fleetwood, though he had a soft spot for “Jo Foster’s sweetly wide-eyed Jack.”

Read the review here.

The Evening Standard

“A triumphant musical mash-up of fairytales”

★★★★

Nick Curtis wrote, “Into the Woods will nevertheless chime with older kids and cynical adults who want an edgier Yuletide alternative to panto.” He was full of praise for the “terrific cast of new and established singing talents who give soaring voice to the witty lyrics and a score that hopscotches elegantly through recurring themes and motifs.” He found Lapine’s book to be “the weak spot: thin and episodic in the first half and sketchily functional in the second”, but thought the show nonetheless “expertly distils the dark psychological undertow of fairytales.” He praised the cast, particularly Dornford-May and Brown, who “bring modulated power to the underwritten roles of Cinderella and Rapunzel”, while “McGonigal and Jo Foster are very funny as Red Ridinghood and Jack.”

Read the review here.

The i Paper

“Stylish and stuffed with talent”

★★★★

Fiona Mountford thought Fein “offers a high-class production stuffed with talent”. She wrote, “This musical has an unmistakably elegant froideur about it, making it easier to admire than love.” She praised the cast, particularly “Dornford-May’s soaring voice” and “Brayben’s spirited determination”, and thought “Gould continues to prove that he is the most reliably excellent supporting actor around”, but found Fleetwood to be the clear show-stealer. Like other critics, she was impressed by Scutt’s lush set design.

Read the review here.

Katie Brayben in INTO THE WOODS at the Bridge Theatre. Photo by Johan Persson.

The Stage

“Visually spellbinding”

★★★

Sam Marlowe had a more mixed response. Newcomers to Sondheim’s iconic musical, he thought, would find this revival “bewitching”, but “if you’re familiar with the piece, on the other hand, you’ll get just what you expect.” He wrote, “Fein’s production looks and sounds sumptuous, yet it’s a little like an expensive chocolate box, with nothing within that offers any fresh or surprising flavour.” But he found the music “exceptionally well sung” and thought “much of the enchantment here lies in the visuals”, giving special praise to Scutt’s detailed costumes. He also thought the Witch was “played with immense wit and pathos by Kate Fleetwood.” “Sometimes the staging is a little cluttered – Jenny Ogilvie’s movement has a nicely folksy, jigging simplicity, but it occasionally clumps,” he wrote. His verdict: “Still, it’s plush and polished, and moment by moment, there’s plenty to enjoy.”

Read the review here.

If you want to pack your Christmas season with more festive theatrical treats, check out our list of Christmas Shows to Watch in London for a complete selection of all our favourite shows to get you in the mood for a bit of winter magic.