Review: INTO THE WOODS at Off Broadway Papakura

Reviewed by Glenda Pearce

Papakura Theatre Company, in association with "Act Up' presents "Into the Woods Jnr' by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine.

Enchanting, Entrancing, Engaging

As soon as you step into the gloomily lit theatre, the "once upon a time" mystery of the fairy tale woods immediately enchants you. The blue gloomily lit scenery of the woods is so beautifully painted (Katherine Honeyman) that it's as if you are really there. You are drawn into the story even before it unfolds. The "magical" set is miraculous - (Allan Wyatt, Regan Crummer and Matt Johnson) exquisitely interweaving all the areas required of the various fairytale characters whilst maintaining a magical background for the overlapping interaction. There are upper levels, balconies, windows, castles, spiral staircases, ladders, houses and an acting space that is cleverly employed. Without a doubt, the directors and the cast of this musical production combine to bring you a talent-filled show that delights, amuses and entrances. Positioned well for the holiday audiences, it's a lively fun-filled show told with pace and action that definitely leaves you with a "feel-good" feeling and a smile after the final songs.

Superbly co-directed by Regan Crummer and Paulette Hadley, the young cast (aged 10-18) engages the audience immediately from the opening moments. The narrator (Leila Sills) dressed in steampunk, captures us immediately from the upper level of the over bridge, and tells us of the Baker (Carlin Lee) and his childless wife (Paige Tyson) who dearly want a child of their own but are unable to because of a witch's curse. These two pivotal characters interact well throughout the story, maintaining its pace and energy. Carlin Lee plays the Baker with a droll calm, mellow-toned and dry under-played humour than contrasts effectively against his wife's more emotional stance. The dark, stormy-haired, emotion-filled, claw-fingered and entirely scary witch (Eve Naicker) is outstanding, and as she shares her perspective with us, we are immediately captivated. She can reverse the curse if they bring her four special items - a slipper as pure as gold, a cloak as red as blood, a cow as white as milk and hair as yellow as corn - and we watch entranced as they set off on their search.

At the start of their journey, they meet up with the articulate and determined Red Riding Hood (Kaitlyn Tanoa'l), the beautiful Cinderella (Tia Ormsby) who is uncertain about what she wants in life, "nice, she says, is different to good", Jack (Grace Miller) and his mother (Isabella-Rose Beazley). Milky-White, the cow (Katie-Rose Pemberton and Ava Hadley) is wonderful - facial expressions are brilliantly focused and skillfully employed. Each of these performers bring their characters to life well, with poise and superb stage presence, their songs sung with truth and emotion. The Wolf (Kenjiah Weir) is a walking stick spinning, vaudeville touch - whose final howl was magnificently executed.

As we all go further and further into the woods, the fairytale characters' stories begin to interweave and this is captured with clever and slick changes, and inspired positional directing so that the pace of the tale is rapid, well-overlapped, and very funny - for an adult, bordering on farce. Hilarious moments happen - poor beautiful Rapunzel (Miya Pritchard) in her tower, waiting patiently for her prince has her magnificent hair ultimately pulled from the opposite side of the stage - it seems from the other side of the woods, such is the power of the curse.

Indeed the production is packed with hilarious touches and details, such as fast moving chickens on wheels, the mysterious man (Daniel Aviga), toes imaginatively chopped off on the screaming and hopeful sisters of Cinderella (Olivia Pearce and Gemma Pater) by their determined mother (Scarlet Weir) as they try to fit the glass slipper. However, with the visit of Red Riding Hood to her grandmother is an imaginatively presented brilliance. The cast portrays the bed, the room, the windows, the pillows - and when both Red Riding Hood and her grandmother (Taylor Newbury) are rescued dramatically - and still whole - the audience erupts.

And we can't forget the prince brothers who challenge all our assumptions about princes! The preppy Cinderella's Prince (Tremaine Teare) and the nose-sniffing street kid version of Rapunzel's Prince (Liam Farrell) sing plaintively of the "Agony" of the pains of love. The steward (Lily Avatea) helps the Prince in his quest well. Gianni Mia Attrill -Dawling sings the role of Cinderella's mother with beautiful tone.

The backstage (led by Susan Andisen), hair and makeup team (led by Louise Parker) and wardrobe (led by Judy Wilson), and sound and lighting operators (Matt Johnson are to be congratulated on their undisputable expertise which brings the plot to such visual vivacity. The performers throughout the production are well directed and vocally unforced, with a professional poise and a confident stage presence. Although the ensemble sings very few numbers in this production - when they do, there is a harmonious blend of accurately pitched melody, and a delightful joy.

On until 20th April 2019.

Off Broadway Theatre
41 Elliot Street
Papakura
Bookings: https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2019/apr/into-the-woods-jr