A great production of Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods lives or dies by its company. The show asks a group of actors to play fairy tale characters everybody thinks they know, then turn them into real people with flaws, doubts and surprising depth. The Olivier award-winning revival now playing at the Noel Coward Theatre in London has assembled a cast that does exactly that.
Many of the leading performers came with the production from its acclaimed run at the Bridge Theatre, joined by new faces for the West End. Here is a guide to who plays who, what they have done before and why this ensemble is worth seeing live.
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Kate Fleetwood as the Witch
At the centre of the story is the Witch, whose curse sets the whole adventure in motion. Kate Fleetwood returns to the role after earning an Olivier nomination for her performance at the Bridge Theatre. She is one of Britain’s most respected stage actors, with a Tony nomination for Macbeth on Broadway, an Olivier nomination for the musical London Road at the National Theatre and acclaimed performances in Medea at the Almeida and High Society at the Old Vic.
The Witch has some of the best material in the score, including the soaring Last Midnight, and Fleetwood’s mix of dry humour and raw emotion makes her a highlight of the evening.
John Dagleish and Laura Pitt-Pulford as the Baker and His Wife
The Baker and his Wife are the heart of the show. Their wish for a child sends them into the woods to collect four magical items, and their relationship carries much of the musical’s warmth and humour.
John Dagleish plays the Baker. He is a two-time Olivier Award winner for Best Actor in a Musical, first for playing Ray Davies in Sunny Afternoon and more recently for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Screen audiences may also recognise him from Netflix’s 3 Body Problem and the film Judy.
Laura Pitt-Pulford plays the Baker’s Wife. Her extensive musical theatre career includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, Aspects of Love at the Lyric Theatre, Barnum at the Menier Chocolate Factory and Nell Gwynn at Shakespeare’s Globe. Together, Dagleish and Pitt-Pulford make a believable, touching couple.
Simbi Akande as Cinderella
Simbi Akande brings Cinderella to life, a character torn between the palace and the life she knows. Her credits include Peggy and Maria in Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady at The Mill at Sonning and roles in The Prince of Egypt and Fiddler on the Roof. Her performance of On the Steps of the Palace is one of the production’s standout moments.
Gracie McGonigal and Keith Ramsay as Little Red and Jack
Gracie McGonigal reprises her role as Little Red Ridinghood from the Bridge Theatre. Television viewers will know her as Hazel in Netflix’s Bridgerton, and on stage she has appeared in The Crucible at the National Theatre and in the West End, as well as The Little Big Things at Soho Place. Her Little Red is bold, funny and fearless.
Keith Ramsay plays Jack, the boy who trades his beloved cow for a handful of beans. A Mountview graduate, he has appeared in Shucked at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and The Play That Goes Wrong, and won The Stage Edinburgh Award for Acting Excellence for Eve: All About Her. His Giants in the Sky is a joyful burst of energy.
Book your seats for Into the Woods at the Noel Coward Theatre.
The Princes, the Wolf and the Rest of the Company
Matthew Seadon-Young doubles as Cinderella’s Prince and the Wolf, two of the show’s most comic roles. His credits include Company at the Gielgud Theatre and Death of a Salesman in the West End. Lucas Koch plays Rapunzel’s Prince, after appearing in Cabaret in the West End and Evita at the London Palladium. Their duet Agony, in which the two princes compete over who suffers most in love, regularly brings the house down.
Fiona Finsbury, who has sung Carlotta in The Phantom of the Opera and leading opera roles across the UK, plays Rapunzel. Michael S. Siegel takes on the Narrator and the Mysterious Man, with credits including Fiddler on the Roof and Apple TV+ series Silo and Foundation. Valda Aviks plays the Grandmother and the Giant, Julie Jupp is Jack’s Mother and Geoffrey Aymer is Cinderella’s Father. Jennifer Hepburn plays Cinderella’s Stepmother and is also the alternate Witch, with Hana Ichijo and Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson as the stepsisters Lucinda and Florinda and Jack Quarton as the Steward.
The Creative Team Behind the Show
The production is directed by Jordan Fein, with set and costume design by Tom Scutt. Musical supervision is by Mark Aspinall, with the celebrated orchestrations of Jonathan Tunick, lighting by Aideen Malone and movement direction by Jenny Ogilvie. Its awards include Olivier Awards for Best Musical Revival and Best Lighting Design, and Critics’ Circle awards for Best Designer and Best Ensemble or Cast, recognition of just how strong this company is as a group.
Why the Cast Makes This Revival Special
Into the Woods is an ensemble piece. There is no single star, and every character’s choices affect everyone else. That makes a well-matched company essential, and this one combines award-winning West End names, rising television talent and experienced musical theatre performers who know how to land both Sondheim’s jokes and his heartbreak.
Because the show plays at the intimate Noel Coward Theatre, you are close enough to catch every glance and every lyric. It is a chance to see actors at the top of their game in one of the most loved musicals ever written.
Booking Information
Into the Woods plays at the Noel Coward Theatre on St Martin’s Lane for a strictly limited season. The running time is around two hours and forty minutes including an interval, and the production is recommended for ages 12 and over. Stalls seats start from around 50 pounds, and a limited number of 25 pound stalls tickets are available for under-30s on selected Monday to Thursday performances. Group and schools rates are also available.
Performers may change during the run and understudies or standbys may appear at some performances, so check the latest cast information before you go. Ready to meet the Baker, the Witch and the rest of the woods in person? Find Into the Woods tickets and choose your date.
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