A Review of the Eglesfield Musical Into the Woods

Every year the city is graced by an array of garden plays, but it is in the gardens of The Queen’s College that audiences are typically promised the most ambitious spectacle of the term. An outdoor musical is no small feat and it is always a pleasure to be invited to see what they have created. This year the society have brought us Sondheim’s fairytale Into the Woods, with its ensemble cast, familiar characters and, perhaps, unfamiliar plot twists. Entering the garden last night was certainly akin to entering a fairytale, the seating placed around a unique stage set up and surrounded by nature. In fact one of the trees played a significant role within the performance at various points, but I will leave that for you to discover.

What there is no doubt about is that stage designer Harry Brook knew the space he was working with. The collection of staging platforms makes for a wonderful array of performance spaces which director I-Cenay Trim has taken full advantage of. Yet, at times the cast are perhaps a little too far away from the audience, a fact which was at points highlighted through the intermittent cutting out of the mics. This was a pity but did not disastrously impede performances thankfully. Heading up the cast is George Vyvyan as The Baker, the actor following through on his reputation of skill and professionalism. At his side, Eliza Hogermeer’s performance of The Baker’s Wife is undeniably compelling and sensitive, drawing us in whether we agree with all of her actions or not. Equally, Molly Jones’ Cinderella is perfection. However, the most memorable performance is no doubt Joseph Baszczak’s Cinderella’s Prince. Stealing the spotlight whenever he canters onto stage, Baszczak’s prince is self obsessed and certainly being played up for comedic effect. There is no denying that the actor is thoroughly enjoying himself upon that stage, both as the prince and the seductive Big Bad Wolf.

The ensemble cast is put to good use with ambitious choreography during many of the musical numbers, their costumes becoming a swirl of colour upon the central stage. These costumes, designed by Aleks Ketob, are certainly to brief, feeling perfect for the fairytale world and wonderfully creative for the student theatre scene. A fairytale world which is lit in rich colour as the sun begins to set, but this is certainly not the stand out moment for the tech… I will leave you to discover this one for yourself.

Central to this musical is humour, the actors leaning into the, at times, sheer ridiculousness of the story. It leads to a fun night and welcome relief from the relentless pressure of Trinity Term. Of course, opening night always brings with it an array of challenges and kinks that one hopes will become ironed out before the end of the run. This reviewer can only hope that the cast have brushed up on their lines and that the challenges posed by the mics have been overcome. And now with a final shoutout to the band, hidden from the audience but very much valued, I will draw this review to a close and get back to my Finals revision.