College Productions

[capybara]

Into The Woods (LAMDA)

My second of three Into The Woods’ this summer and unfortunately this production, directed by Annabel Mutale Reed, fell a bit flat for me.

The first problem is several of the roles felt wildly miscast, both in terms of acting performances and the required vocals to match the score. I was already concerned by the Narrator’s complete lack of charisma during the prologue and it went downhill from there. Clearly Robert Voigt had been directed to play it that way though as he seemed to come alive as the Mysterious Man.

I saw Anu Akinseye as Little Red and, again, the book lines were delivered so flatly. Her voice did not seem suited to the role. I note the role is alternated with Cheri McKenzine, who did seem more animated as Florinda.

But by far the main issue was that almost every comedic line or joke didn’t deliver. It was really weird and such a contrast to the RAM production earlier in the summer that some felt had been played too much for laughs. Even the princes gave nothing in the way of humour…

That being said, Caitlin Williams was exquisite as The Witch, especially in the second act when she seemed more comfortable in the role. Likewise, Katie Leach was brilliant as The Baker’s Wife.

I don’t know but it really didn’t click and came across as an under rehearsed piece of am-dram. A real missed opportunity, even if it was nice to hear that score performed by a live band once again.

[Steve]

Jul 24, 2024 17:05:58 GMT capybara said:

Into The Woods (LAMDA)

fell a bit flat for me.

The first problem is several of the roles felt wildly miscast, both in terms of acting performances and the required vocals to match the score . . . Katie Leach was brilliant as The Baker’s Wife.

I don’t know but it really didn’t click.

Hard agree with what capybara is saying about this not working.

I was one of the people that loved the RAM production and laughed a lot.

Not much to laugh at here. It's directed like an industry showcase, with everyone trying to highlight their skills rather than form a coherent piece.

There was no tonal consistency, and no sense that the production as a whole was trying to please the audience, especially in the first half, where some parts were played too panto and parts that should be funny were flat.

As stated above, Katie Leach is an excellent Baker's Wife, and a standout of the production, both her singing and acting.

I also thought that Apollonia van den Brand had the most exquisite affecting voice as Cinderella, the most outstanding voice of the "showcase" lol.

I had the other cast, so can report that this afternoon's Little Red Riding Hood, Cheri McKenzie, was actually very good, understated but authentic and believable as an amiable Little Red Riding Hood just bumbling her way through life. It was a very different performance than RAM's brilliantly funny ferociously snappy and aggressive Little Red Riding Hood, but it showed that you can play the part completely differently and it can still work, as long as you are playing the part and not merely showcasing your skills.

Matthew McFarland was a creditable Baker as well.

But overall, this presentation lacks vision, isn't funny and is less than the sum of its parts. 2 and a half stars from me.

[Dr Tom]

For LAMDA Into The Woods, I didn’t book but they still have tickets left. The advertised run time is 2 hours, compared to over 3 for RAM. Is the run time accurate and, if so, is it massively cut?

[Talisman]

I think this could divide opinion as quite a lot of  the usual over the top characterisation was whisked away.  The witch was a badly damaged character seeking to develop her relationship with her daughter in some moving scenes. This really was the Bakers story. He had a desperate intensity at  times..  A scene where he is comforting Jack whilst Cinderella is comforting Riding Hood was quite emotional. Compared with the recent Royal Academy production, much was low key, with one of the princes and the two Cinderella sisters very much in the background. It enabled the piece to be more reflective as the drama came through. This production for the Edinburgh Festival was the first result of the new Rada post graduate musical theatre course. The band and singing were of a very high standard. In contrast to RAM the stage was virtually bare and the sound balance was great enabling words and music to come across with crystal clarity instead of much trundling of staging  and unclear words. 

There were no great caricatures here but real people facing problems and doing their best to deal with them. I have never heard the words so well delivered and there were aspects of the plot that I had never fully appreciated. There was a lot of fun but this mainly stemmed from Sondheim’s wit; some will of course enjoy a less low key approach. I rejoice in the luxury of recently having enjoyed both. 

As I read of the prices that can be paid for entertainment. I confess to feeling very pleased with a stimulating and rewarding afternoon for £7

[Talisman]

Jul 24, 2024 18:02:35 GMT Dr Tom said:

For LAMDA Into The Woods, I didn’t book but they still have tickets left. The advertised run time is 2 hours, compared to over 3 for RAM. Is the run time accurate and, if so, is it massively cut?

About three hours

[capybara]

It was probably about 2 hours 50 minutes but the interval was delayed after a patron appeared to put his foot through the staircase, leading to the offending area being taped off and the audience being asked to shuffle towards the centre of the stalls.

[peterbrook]

Like Talisman, above, I thoroughly enjoyed LAMDA's production of "Into the Woods" (this afternoon). It's my favourite musical and I have seen several productions, the best of which was the Open Air Theatre's. This wasn't so far behind.

All the voices were good; the band was good; the set/lighting was good; and the speed of delivery was very fast even by Sondheim standards, which meant that nothing dragged and we were out in under 3 hours. Yes, perhaps there was less humour than usual but there were many chuckles amongst the audience.

This was a more emotionally-nuanced interpretation than I've seen in previous productions. That's the beauty of Sondheim - his work can be approached in different ways and still be highly successful.

I'm sure that the production will be well received in Edinburgh next month. Four stars from me.

[Talisman]

Jul 26, 2024 19:37:29 GMT peterbrook said:

Like Talisman, above, I thoroughly enjoyed LAMDA's production of "Into the Woods" (this afternoon). It's my favourite musical and I have seen several productions, the best of which was the Open Air Theatre's. This wasn't so far behind.

All the voices were good; the band was good; the set/lighting was good; and the speed of delivery was very fast even by Sondheim standards, which meant that nothing dragged and we were out in under 3 hours. Yes, perhaps there was less humour than usual but there were many chuckles amongst the audience.

This was a more emotionally-nuanced interpretation than I've seen in previous productions. That's the beauty of Sondheim - his work can be approached in different ways and still be highly successful.

I'm sure that the production will be well received in Edinburgh next month. Four stars from me.

I agree about Regent’s Park.
Impossible to compete with the setting

[Steve]

Into the Woods (NYMT) at Southwark Playhouse Elephant

This worked brilliantly for me. It gathers in cumulative power as it goes along.

There's something about the lessons that Sondheim embodies in this story that really suits young people.

Some spoilers follow. . .

Director Jake Smith has come up with a tented Scout camp in the woods as his setting. The play is a story they are reading to each other, and it comes alive and they take part in it.

The younger teens are the supporting ensemble, being told the story, and the older teens and early twenties are the main parts, so along the way, you get sense that there are two layers of growing up going on, with the younger kids learning their first lesson about life not being perfect, and the older kids having to grow up and become adults.

Think movies like "Stand by me," where kids see a dead body for the first time, or "The Goonies," where a bunch of kids have a magical adventure. That was the vibe, for me.

A couple of the main parts are played by older kids who look like younger kids. This means that the main parts resemble a blossoming family of choice, as the story progresses, with 17 year old Phoebe Connelly's Little Red Riding Hood and 18 year old Ronav Jain's Jack playing much younger, and genuinely seeming like surrogate children for 20 year old Olly Adams's Baker and 19 year old Keziah Ibe's Cinderella. For me, this meant that "No one is Alone" was an exceptionally powerful song, with everyone poignantly growing up and bonding before your eyes, the highlight of this production by far.

The Baker's Wife, in this production played by 22 year old Sophie Lagden, was more commanding than I've ever seen in this show, a caring Mary Poppins type with a voice to match. She came across like Sarah Jane in the Dr Who spin-off, "The Sarah Jane Adventures," basically in charge of everybody and everything, driving the storyline, protecting the other characters. When her character leaves the storyline, the effect on the other characters under her wing, especially on Olly Adams's Baker (whose slightly baffled open demeanour is something between Mackenzie Crook and Stephen Mangan), is like a nuclear bomb of growing up having to happen very fast.

Adams's teen to adult transitioning Baker and Connolly's child to teen transitioning Little Red Riding Hood are exceptional in my view.

This production was not as funny as RAM's hilarious production (although Rigby Edwards, as Jack's blunt no-nonsense mother has funny bones), but this one is ultimately more poignant. This built to an easy 4 stars for me.

PS: The running time was longer than advertised this afternoon, finishing at 5:20pm, having begun at 2:35pm (including one interval).

[capybara]

Into The Woods (NYMT)

My third production of this show in three months and this was a really strong effort from director Jake Smith. It hit all the right beats and was so refreshing to see after LAMDA’s rather flat production last month.

For a start, the inclusion of the young ensemble added an extra energy to the piece. At first I wasn’t convinced by the framing device of a scout group as The Narrator, essentially conjuring up the familiar characters as they read the story around a campfire. I felt it was a little crowbarred in but I was won over as it went on and they really added to the overall experience.

Southwark Playhouse Elephant provided an up close and personal interpretation and the company really rose to the occasion. Xanthe Gibson in particular was wonderful as the Witch, striking an excellent balance between terrifying, camp and tender in her scenes with Rapunzel (played by Matilda Shapland, whose haunting refrain as the character I could listen to all day).

Phoebe Connolly made for a fun Little Red Ridinghood, playing up the childish nature of the character not just for comedic effect but to expose a genuine vulnerability behind her humour. Keziah Ibe, meanwhile, was suitably downtrodden as Cinderella and sounded exquisite, particularly during ‘No One Is Alone’.

While not as overtly hilarious as RAM’s recent take on the Sondheim classic, there were some fantastic performances that stood out. Rigby Edwards as Jack’s Mother was very witty, ad-libbing to the audience’s delight. And the princes did a splendid job of camping it up, so well done Marco Dennis (Rapunzel’s Prince) and Freddie Tickle (Cinderella’s Princess) on that score.

And Sophie Lagden deserves huge praise for giving such an incredible, yet so grounded, performance as The Baker’s Wife. She found a gentle humour that worked a treat. She had great chemistry with Olly Adams, playing The Baker.

The set served the company well, with the trees and balconies providing layers alongside the initial campsite tents, there mainly for The Wolf’s (Maya Waghorn) demise early in Act One. It didn’t wow me in quite the same way as RAM’s Into The Woods did in June but it was still very, very good.

[capybara]

Our House (NYMT)

A boisterous, energetic production from the talented NYMT company. As a huge fan of both musical theatre and Madness (well, ska and 2tone in general), you would think this show would be a match made in heaven for me - but I’ve always been quite averse to jukebox musicals.

However, after some initial scepticism, this completely won me over. I went in fairly blind so had no idea the show would be something of a Sliding Doors inspo and admittedly it did take me until well into Act One to notice - that may be more down to my own stupidity not noticing the swivelling tube sign though!

It’s a really talented group. Des Coghlan-Forbes was nuanced and charismatic as Joe, while Abbie Palliser Kehoe gave a really strong performance as his mum Kath. Other standouts included Olivia Barratt as Billie and Ryan Cooley as the Dad.

But it was the ensemble that made the piece. So much talent, of all ages, brought a palpable energy to the piece. Ensemble tracks such as ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘The Sun and the Rain’ and ‘Wings of a Dove’ were as expertly choreographed as anything you will see in the West End - well done, Simon Hardwick.

At time I felt the narrative wasn’t all that easy to keep track of but overall, this was a wonderful production by a fantastic group of young performers.

[FrontroverPaul]

Aug 25, 2024 11:04:58 GMT capybara said:

Our House (NYMT)

A boisterous, energetic production from the talented NYMT company. As a huge fan of both musical theatre and Madness (well, ska and 2tone in general), you would think this show would be a match made in heaven for me - but I’ve always been quite averse to jukebox musicals.

However, after some initial scepticism, this completely won me over. I went in fairly blind so had no idea the show would be something of a Sliding Doors inspo and admittedly it did take me until well into Act One to notice - that may be more down to my own stupidity not noticing the swivelling tube sign though!

It’s a really talented group. Des Coghlan-Forbes was nuanced and charismatic as Joe, while Abbie Palliser Kehoe gave a really strong performance as his mum Kath. Other standouts included Olivia Barratt as Billie and Ryan Cooley as the Dad.

But it was the ensemble that made the piece. So much talent, of all ages, brought a palpable energy to the piece. Ensemble tracks such as ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘The Sun and the Rain’ and ‘Wings of a Dove’ were as expertly choreographed as anything you will see in the West End - well done, Simon Hardwick.

At time I felt the narrative wasn’t all that easy to keep track of but overall, this was a wonderful production by a fantastic group of young performers.

I saw the Friday matinee and didn't realise the significance of the revolving tube sign until the interval when - as I often do - I read the synopsis of the show on Wikipedia. You were well ahead of me !

I still found the second act more confusing than the first but none of that mattered because I go to musicals for the simple and sole purpose of being entertained and the big song and dance numbers were as you say up to West End professional standard.

Roll on the next batch of college productions !

[Talisman]

The two narratives can be hard to follow but it can be made to work. Despite the swivelling sign this was not as clear as I saw in an amateur production. However in all other aspects this was excellent. The ensemble all showed their own characteristics and never dissolved into an amorphous mass. I agree fully with the comments on the cast and would add that all the minor roles were very well portrayed. The exuberance displayed was wonderful to experience. The piece was an excellent choice for the group. It is quite challenging but the darker comments came through..

This and Catastrophe Bay were outstanding.  

[topaz]

One of Mountview's autumn productions, for anyone else who misses it - booking open here: www.mountview.org.uk/whats-on/show/fun-home/

(Mods, please delete if this is too much duplication, I just assume not everyone checks the college productions thread!)




[Mod edit: I’ve moved posts from the Fun Home thread to here as it was suggesting to people that a pro revival was on its way. This is the correct thread to discuss Mountview shows.]

[capybara]

I’ll buy a ticket for both. Is it normal for there to be this many college productions of Into The Woods in a calendar year?! Not that I’m complaining, of course.

[happysooz2]

Never gone to last post on a thread so fast 😹😹😹

[ThereWillBeSun]

Sept 19, 2024 12:51:18 GMT happysooz2 said:

Never gone to last post on a thread so fast 😹😹😹

Same haha 🤣

I want to say no other drama institution has performed this show before. Pretty rad. Beautiful show 😭❤️

[thedrowsychaperone]

Very interested how a drama school will handle the child actors?

[thistimetomorrow]

the same shows seem to go around the different schools tbh.

[distantcousin]

One of the very few 21st century musicals I absolutely loved.

I happened to catch in on the US national tour, when I was visiting a friend in Cleveland in 2016. (Kate Shindle played adult Alison)

[fossil]

If my information is correct then Arts Ed's will also be doing a production of Into The Woods in November.

Preceded, I believe, by Spring Awakening and then followed by High Society in January.

[FrontroverPaul]

Spring Awakening at Arts Ed has only just gone on sale and several performances already show as fully booked. (Yet there have always been plenty of unoccupied seats when I have attended a "sold out" show there)

[thistimetomorrow]

Oct 7, 2024 13:11:33 GMT FrontroverPaul said:

Spring Awakening at Arts Ed has only just gone on sale and several performances already show as fully booked. (Yet there have always been plenty of unoccupied seats when I have attended a "sold out" show there)

omg thank you for posting. Just nabbed the last ticket for the saturday matinee

[theatrefan77]

Oct 7, 2024 13:11:33 GMT FrontroverPaul said:

Spring Awakening at Arts Ed has only just gone on sale and several performances already show as fully booked. (Yet there have always been plenty of unoccupied seats when I have attended a "sold out" show there)

Thank you! Ticket booked

[capybara]

Likewise. Curious how fast ArtsEd performances sell out compared to elsewhere.