The latest production at the Bridge Theatre has been brought up to date to appeal to grown-ups as well as children with genders alternating, and Princes flirting with Cinderella as well as one another.
Intertwining several Brothers Grimm fairy tales with characters from
Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood the story recounts the situation around a poor baker and his wife who want to start a family, but a wicked witch has put a curse on their family making them barren.
Unlike traditional fairy tales, the characters are not good or evil; they make selfish, flawed choices. The second act emphasizes that they are accountable for the havoc they cause, forcing them to unite to survive.
The curse has come about because the baker’s father stole vegetables from the witch’s garden. The witch says she can only lift the curse if the couple procure four special items: A cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn, and a slipper as pure as gold.
All the characters along with two princes and a ravenous wolf go ‘Into the Woods’ or are already there. The key theme of the story is to be careful of what you wish for and to be aware that achieving your desires can come with hidden, unexpected consequences that need to be addressed.
The fairytale can be enjoyed on several levels. Just as a sweet story, but can also be looked at in depth – the woods also represent the subconscious, the unknown, and a place where life lessons are learned. A place where the characters are forced to leave their comfort zones and face dangers. The story also explores dysfunctional parent-child relationships and the responsibility of the older generation to guide those younger than themselves.
An enjoyable, if thought-provoking production.
At the Bridge Theatre to 30 May, 2026
Opened in 2017, the Bridge Theatre is London’s latest theatre with the bonus of innovative design to provide audiences with good views of the stage wherever they sit. A bonus is its situation on the south bank of the River Thames. Standing outside, it offers sensational views – the Tower of London opposite, particularly at night, when it is lit up with on its right , Tower Bridge.
Bridge Theatre
3 Potters Fields Park
London SE1 2SG.
[email protected]
Bridgetheatre.co.uk
T. 0333 320 0051