The reviews are in for Into the Woods, which had its official West End opening at the Noël Coward Theatre on Wednesday 7 October after an Olivier-winning run at the Bridge. Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s fairytale musical sends a Baker and his Wife into the forest to lift a curse, then asks what comes after happily ever after. The welcome is warm almost everywhere: Jordan Fein’s production is judged to have travelled with its magic intact, Kate Fleetwood’s returning Witch draws the strongest praise, and the new Baker and Wife, John Dagleish and Laura Pitt-Pulford, are close behind. Where the critics part company is over the length, which a minority feel by the end of the evening.
The verdict: ten reviews in for the West End transfer: four five-star notices, four four-star, one outlet that publishes no rating and The Times behind its paywall. Among those that score it, the average is 4.5 out of 5, and almost every critic singles out Kate Fleetwood’s Witch.
What are critics saying about INTO THE WOODS?
WhatsOnStage
Reviewer: Alex Wood
Alex Wood finds that the move from the Bridge into a proscenium house makes Jordan Fein’s staging feel plusher and more intimate, and that the returning cast members have only deepened their work.
"one of the best single performances on any West End stage right now"
That accolade goes to Kate Fleetwood’s Witch, which he finds more playful and more truthful than at the Bridge. He also enjoys the newcomers, John Dagleish and Laura Pitt-Pulford as the Baker and his Wife above all, and credits the sound and video design with making the giant’s arrival rattle the building.
London Theatre
"this sublime Olivier-winning revival is utterly magical"
Reviewer: Julia Rank
Julia Rank says the production has crossed the river without losing any of its magic, and that the new members of the company add to it.
"This return to the woods is not to be missed."
She singles out the lived-in chemistry between Dagleish and Pitt-Pulford, the dry humour and sheer power of Fleetwood’s Witch, and the way Tom Scutt’s set and Aideen Malone’s lighting turn the forest into a living space.
Theatre Weekly
"an outstanding revival of a musical masterpiece"
Reviewer: Greg Stewart
Greg Stewart notes that this is the musical’s first West End staging in three decades, and argues that Fein strikes the difficult balance between its comedy and its darkness.
"Kate Fleetwood’s Witch is simply unforgettable."
He calls the Baker and his Wife the emotional core of the evening, finds the princes’ scenes riotously funny, and thinks Scutt’s design has transferred beautifully to its new home.
Theatre and Tonic
Reviewer: Penny
Penny reports that the production has lost none of its impact in the change of venue, and gives particular credit to Fein for making a knotty piece accessible, moving and very funny.
"It’s theatre at its absolute finest."
She welcomes back Gracie McGonigal and Fleetwood, praises the new Cinderella and Baker’s Wife, and tells readers who saw it at the Bridge to book again.
Time Out
"Jordan Fein’s Olivier-winning Sondheim revival makes the leap to the West End with all of its magic intact"
Time Out’s critic thinks the mostly new cast keeps the show every bit as good as it was south of the river, with Fleetwood owning the stage and the Baker and his Wife a lovely vocal match.
"It’s a wordy, fiddly, nearly three-hour musical about fairytales, and somehow it flies by."
The review picks out the princes’ “Agony” as the funniest number of the night, and the way the company slips in and out of the trees as what sets the staging apart.
The Arts Desk
"honouring a masterpiece"
Reviewer: David Nice
David Nice regards the piece itself as close to perfect, and is satisfied that this staging serves it, with no complaint about the many cast changes.
"Dagleish is also the best Baker I’ve seen"
He admires Simbi Akande’s truthful Cinderella and the two princes, and his one real reservation is heavy amplification that sometimes blurs the words.
LondonTheatre1
Reviewer: Chris Omaweng
Chris Omaweng is the most measured voice here. He found it a long evening, felt the second act turned preachy towards the end, and was not won over by the puppet cow or the beanstalk.
"a very satisfying and gritty show, with touches of lighthearted silliness…"
He values the production for playing the material straight rather than reaching for a novel angle, and for what it shows about the power of storytelling.
Jonathan Baz Reviews
Reviewer: Emma Kaabachi
Emma Kaabachi thinks the visuals are flawless, with Scutt’s looming trees and Malone’s lighting making a landscape that seems alive.
"the overall aesthetic is so refined that this production could almost be frozen in time"
She praises Fleetwood’s authority and calls McGonigal’s Red Ridinghood fearless, but finds the near three-hour running time hard to sustain in the first act, and the repeated end-of-scene poses less striking each time.
South London Press
Reviewer: Christopher Peacock
Christopher Peacock asks whether a revival brings a new perspective or a dazzling spectacle, and decides that Scutt’s design and Malone’s lighting supply the magic here.
"Kate Fleetwood returns as the Witch with an enthralling turn."
He rates the singing of Akande and Pitt-Pulford as superb, finds the woods even more claustrophobic inside a proscenium arch, and recommends it to every Sondheim fan.
Read Christopher Peacock’s full review at South London Press
Production photographs by Johan Persson.
Also reviewed by: The Times (Dominic Maxwell, “I was bewitched by this Sondheim fairytale with a stunningly good witch”), whose review sits behind a paywall.
For more on the production, see our opening-night production photographs and our guide to what to expect from Into the Woods.
Into the Woods is booking at the Noël Coward Theatre until 9 January 2027.
