Following their more comedy oriented productions of Monty Python’s Spamalot (October 2014) and a modernised adaptation of the already hysterical Essgee version of The Pirates of Penzance (March 2015) – the Brisbane-based Harvest Rain Theatre Company have presented something a little more traditional this month when it comes to stage musicals. Following the Disney live action adaptation which aired in cinemas at the beginning of this year, Harvest Rain have given those who enjoyed the Into the Woods film a chance to view the original and authentic stage production – complemented by a fantastic orchestra and strong talent when it comes to both acting and singing.
For those unfamiliar with the musical or film, Into the Woods is a 1980’s stage musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and an original book by James Lapine. It tells the tale of a Baker and his Wife, who seeking to break a curse which renders them unable to have a child, travels into a massive forest at the bequest of a witch to collect a number of items those familiar with classic fairy tales might recognise. In addition to the unique storyline regarding the Baker and his wife, Into the Woods merges plot concepts and characters from multiple other tales including Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel – with the odd reference to other renown tales. With all their storylines taking place within the woods, they eventually begin to intermingle with one another, leading to a number of unique outcomes far different from what those familiar with each tale would expect. Split over two acts, with each consisting of its own distinct albeit interconnected chapter, the stage musical made for a fairly complex yet entertaining watch which I would call appealing to audiences both the young and older alike.
One subtitle that Harvest Rain ran with in some of their promotional material for Into the Woods was “You’ve seen the film, now experience the magic live on stage“. A concern some may have is that they would be paying between $69 and $119 to see something on stage that they could easily see by popping a copy of the film adaptation they already own into their DVD or Blu-ray player. While there are many songs and events shared between the stage musical and film adaptations, this performance includes a number of additional songs and several plot additions/differences. This is most prominent with the second act, which in the film adaptation was greatly condensed, despite it offering both strong songs and material to work with. Therefore, whether you have seen the film or viewing Into the Woods for the first time, there should be plenty of new content to watch throughout the show. Although I do genuinely enjoy the film, I would consider the stage adaptation to be the more satisfying watch with regard to content and the sheer number of songs performed.
With their recent productions enlisting strong talent including Jon English, Simon Gallaher, Julie Anthony, Frank Woodley, Andrew O’Keefe, Nancye Hayes and Jon Wood; alongside some brand new up-and-coming talent such as Georgina Hopson and Billy Bourchier – it should come as no surprise that Harvest Rain enlisted some strong Australian talent for their production of Into the Woods. Arguably the most prominent cast member is Eddie Perfect as The Baker, whose strong acting and singing abilities left him shining on the stage at every opportunity. He was joined on stage by a strong cast including Rachael Beck (The Baker’s Wife), Rhonda Burchmore (The Witch), Natalie Greet (Rapunzel), Georgina Hopson (Cinderella), Tom Oliver (Jack), Kimberley Hodgson (Little Red Riding Hood) and Penny Farrow (Jack’s Mother), among other impressive cast members. A personal highlight for me however was Dean Vince as the narrator, who handled the quirky role memorably.
Aside from a few windows that cast members could appear from within the trees, the set used is fairly static, and had no noticeable changes made to it during the interval. The set reflects an alcove in the forest, and although some imagination is required with select scenes such as the one taking place in “Granny’s House” for example, it proved to be very versatile enough for the show. It was in my opinion a smart design choice that overall worked pretty well.
The only major issue I had with Harvest Rain’s production of Into the Woods was the same as many of their shows… that there is an incredibly limited period of time to catch it at the QPAC Concert Hall. After starting on Thursday evening and four performances, there are only two more chances tomorrow to catch the show. Tickets to both the Sunday 1:00PM and 6:30PM sessions are still available as of writing, and can be purchased via the QPAC Website.
Final Words on Into the Woods
Harvest Rain’s early-2015 production of The Pirates of Penzance set a standard that would always be very hard to match, and I don’t think that Into the Woods managed to meet the level of crowd enthusiasm or entertainment value they provided earlier this year. But these factors aren’t everything, and this show saw them enlist some incredibly skilled talent to work alongside an evidently talented production team to present a classic which, in the end, was both an enjoyable and immensely satisfying watch. If there were another few sessions on offer, this was definitely a show I would consider seeing a second time around.
So what’s next for the Harvest Rain Theatre Company? Back in July 2014 they performed an arena spectacular version of Cats at the Brisbane Convention Centre which featured over 500 performers from across South East Queensland. Following this, Harvest Rain are set to perform another Arena Spectacular of “Hairspray” in April 2016 at the Brisbane Convention Centre. Expect to hear more regarding this production in the coming months.
