ADC
Dir: Freddie Hutchins
Four Stars

It’s been done countless times before. From the dark, brooding sexuality of Angela Carter's The Company of Wolves, to the comic novels of Jaspar Fforde, via Shrek, The Princess Bride and Heath Ledger as one half of The Brothers Grimm, the re-booted fairy-tale genre has been well and truly exhausted of late. And yet, as if to satisfy some unfed desire to return to childhood innocence, here it is again. This time, in the form of a stage musical (albeit one originally produced in the 80s), we are asked to venture 'into the woods once more'.

Thankfully, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's score originates from a time before the obligatory Matrix parody scene, before smug post-modernism turned the fairytale into something hackneyed, insensitive and boring. Surprisingly, this production never verges into cynical or worn-out territory. In spite of its somewhat epic length (the first half seems like a play complete in itself) and a dense web of characters and subplots, the pace never slackens. The surprising 'twist' is that each character, although a storybook cliché, has their own, very real set of concerns, their own agenda to pursue. And, among the tangle of overlapping stories which ensue, the real wonder is that our attention never wanders from these characters; that we care about each and every one of them.

Perhaps the most credit is due to Freddie Hutchins' direction. This production is effortlessly polished and the most professional I've seen this year. The stage is always busy, but never overwhelmed by its massive ensemble cast. The set is faultless; strewn with subtle, starry lights, oversized calligraphy and origami birds, it evokes a fairytale world while still demanding the use of our imaginations. The dance numbers, though energetic and expertly choreographed, never resort to the cheesy showmanship normally expected of musicals. Even when the inevitable 'happy ending' comes, the cast do not exhort us to be happy. We already are.

After a term filled with more serious, often wilfully obscure offerings, it is refreshing to see a production neither self-consciously cheesy, nor 'serious' or pretentiously post-modern. Into the Woods treads the line between childish fun and nuanced entertainment, and the result speaks for itself; it is infectiously cheerful yet carefully crafted, sincere yet wise, refreshingly inventive and still pleasingly predictable. Clearly much work has gone into production, musical direction and above all the crafted, confident performances. The actors, all perfectly cast, inhabit their cartoonish characters with an expert mix of enthusiasm and care, transforming themselves into storybook cliches which are, remarkably, never boring to watch. In fact, the most two-dimensional characters are also the most memorable; Ed Stephenson and Ned Stuart-Smith make for two irrepressible, irresistibly angsty princes, while Tempe Nell commands the stage as the wicked witch, a formidable hunch-backed diva, wrapped in a mass of shawls. She wears the requisite false nose with gusto, rather than it wearing her, and this is testament to her performance.

Mel Heslop also stands out as the heroine of the piece. Her rich voice and beautifully controlled portrayal of the Baker's Wife bring depth to what might easily have been a bland, forgettable role. One might only wish that she had been given a more flattering costume, deserving of her undeniable charm; the dress she wears looks like what would happen if you crossed Florence Nightingale with a 1950s tablecloth.

Into the Woods sees the ADC stage transformed to an alternate new world, where giants land most inconveniently in peoples’ back-yards, grannies have big eyes and even bigger teeth, and where an obsession with shoes can lead to far more than heavy credit-card statements. Even on its opening night, in a stifling theatre with storms outside, the (predominantly older, academic) audience were enchanted, cheering wholeheartedly and at other times silent as spellbound children. Productions such as this one remind us why we believed in fairytales as children; I urge anyone and everyone to go and appreciate this beautifully crafted production for themselves; it is a triumphant, sparkling farewell to what has been a long and dreary term.

Roisin Kiberd