FITZROVIA TALENT
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Review roundup · West End

INTO THE WOODS REVIEWS: CRITICS HAIL SONDHEIM'S WEST END RETURN.

By Fitzrovia Talent ·

In brief

From the Bridge to the West End

Into the Woods won Best Musical Revival at the 2026 Olivier Awards for the Bridge Theatre production, and Aideen Malone (lighting) and Roland Horvath (video) shared Best Lighting Design. The transfer to the Noël Coward Theatre was revealed on the Olivier Awards stage. (Official London Theatre; WhatsOnStage)

The production was first staged at the Bridge in 2025 and finished its run there on 30 May 2026. West End performances began on 22 September 2026, and the show is booking until 9 January 2027. (WestEndTheatre.com; WestEndTheatre.com review roundup; Delfont Mackintosh Theatres)

Production photos were released ahead of the West End press night, with the show opening at the Noël Coward on 7 October 2026. Time Out notes that this is the show's first West End run since 1991. (BroadwayWorld; Time Out)

The star ratings

How the critics rated the West End transfer:

The Times also reviewed the production, under the headline "I was bewitched by this Sondheim fairytale with a stunningly good witch". (The Times)

Kate Fleetwood's Witch leads the praise

Fleetwood, back as the Witch from the Bridge company, is the performance reviewers return to most. WhatsOnStage found her "more nimble, more playful, and ultimately more truthful" than at the Bridge, and called her "Last Midnight" one of the best single performances on any West End stage right now. (WhatsOnStage)

Time Out wrote that she "owns every inch of stage", while LondonTheatre.co.uk called it "a true dynamo performance". (Time Out; LondonTheatre.co.uk)

New faces: the Baker and his Wife

John Dagleish and Laura Pitt-Pulford are new to the production as the Baker and the Baker's Wife. Time Out called their duet "It Takes Two" "a real high point of the show", and WhatsOnStage described them as "a mightily fun double act". (Time Out; WhatsOnStage)

LondonTheatre.co.uk praised their "gorgeous, lived-in chemistry". (LondonTheatre.co.uk)

The princes, Little Red and the rest of the company

Matthew Seadon-Young (Cinderella's Prince and the Wolf) and Lucas Koch (Rapunzel's Prince) win laughs with "Agony", which Time Out called the funniest number of the night. Gracie McGonigal, returning as Little Red Ridinghood, is "still a joy", according to the same review. (Time Out)

WhatsOnStage highlighted Simbi Akande's "note-perfect Cinderella" and Keith Ramsay's "quirky, oddball Jack". (WhatsOnStage)

Design and sound in a smaller house

Tom Scutt's set and costume design is praised across the board. WhatsOnStage noted that the more intimate auditorium lets details such as Cinderella's growing gowns show through, and that Adam Fisher's sound design pushes the arrival of the Giant further than was possible at the Bridge. (WhatsOnStage)

BroadwayWorld's reviewer called Aideen Malone's lighting "hands down the best lighting design I've ever seen". (BroadwayWorld)

What fell flat

The reservations are minor. Time Out describes a "wordy, fiddly, nearly three-hour musical" that nonetheless "flies by". British Theatre Guide felt the first act's energy "is not sustained into act two, which unfortunately lulls". (Time Out; British Theatre Guide)

WestEndTheatre.com's reviewer felt it could "at times, feel a bit cramped" on the Noël Coward's traditional proscenium stage compared with the Bridge. (WestEndTheatre.com review roundup)

Cast and creative team

The company is led by Kate Fleetwood (Witch), John Dagleish (Baker), Laura Pitt-Pulford (Baker's Wife), Gracie McGonigal (Little Red Ridinghood), Simbi Akande (Cinderella) and Keith Ramsay (Jack). They are joined by Valda Aviks (Grandmother/Giant), Geoffrey Aymer (Cinderella's Father), Jennifer Hepburn (Cinderella's Stepmother and Alternate Witch), Hana Ichijo (Lucinda), Julie Jupp (Jack's Mother), Fiona Finsbury (Rapunzel), Lucas Koch (Rapunzel's Prince), Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson (Florinda), Jack Quarton (Steward), Matthew Seadon-Young (Cinderella's Prince/Wolf) and Michael Siegel (Narrator), with Hollie Aires, Sabrina Aloueche, Jacob Fowler, Adam Robert Lewis, Sophie Linder-Lee, Toby Turpin and Elsie Watson completing the cast. (Delfont Mackintosh Theatres)

Jordan Fein directs, with set and costume design by Tom Scutt, lighting by Aideen Malone, sound by Adam Fisher and video by Roland Horvath. Mark Aspinall is musical director. The production is presented by London Theatre Company in association with Jamie Wilson Productions. (WestEndTheatre.com review roundup; LondonTheatre.co.uk; Delfont Mackintosh Theatres)

A short history of Into the Woods

Sondheim and Lapine's musical weaves together Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel with the story of a childless Baker and his Wife, then asks what happens after "happily ever after". (WestEndTheatre.com review roundup)

The show debuted at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 1986 and opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on 5 November 1987, winning Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Book and Best Actress in a Musical (Joanna Gleason). The original West End production, directed by Richard Jones, ran at the Phoenix Theatre from 25 September 1990 to 23 February 1991. (Wikipedia)

Dates, tickets and access

(Delfont Mackintosh Theatres; Into the Woods official site; LondonTheatre.co.uk)

What it means for performers

A Sondheim revival with a large company, an alternate Witch and a full ensemble shows how much West End musicals rely on versatile performers who can cover principal roles. If you're a musical theatre performer looking for representation, see our musical theatre division. Casting directors can send a brief.

FAQ

What are the reviews like for Into the Woods in the West End? Overwhelmingly positive. WhatsOnStage, The Stage, Time Out, BroadwayWorld, LondonTheatre.co.uk, Musical Theatre Review and Theatre Weekly all gave five stars, and WestEndTheatre.com gave four.

Where is Into the Woods playing in London? At the Noël Coward Theatre, 85–88 St Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4AU, after transferring from the Bridge Theatre.

How long is Into the Woods running at the Noël Coward Theatre? It's a strictly limited season, booking until 9 January 2027.

Who plays the Witch in Into the Woods in the West End? Kate Fleetwood, who returns from the Bridge Theatre production. Jennifer Hepburn is the alternate Witch.

How long is Into the Woods, and what is the age guidance? About 2 hours 40 minutes including an interval. It's recommended for ages 12+, and under-3s are not admitted.

Are there cheap tickets for Into the Woods? Yes. Under-30s can buy £25 stalls tickets for Monday to Thursday performances, and LondonTheatre.co.uk lists tickets from £19.

Sources