Running from January 20th – 24th, the Edinburgh Universe Savoy Opera Group’s production of Into The Woods brings Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s beloved fairy-tale musical to life at Church Hill Theatre in Edinburgh this January. Featuring classic characters like Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and Rapunzel, the show asks what happens after the familiar stories end, blending moments of magic with deeper themes of love, loss and the consequences of our wishes. It’s a timeless tale that invites audiences of all ages into a world where dreams come true—but not always without cost.
If you wouldn’t mind giving us an introduction to yourself and your role within the show?
Maia Jones (Cinderella): My name is Maia Jones and I am a first-year maths student at the University of Edinburgh. I will be playing Cinderella in Into the Woods.
Hunter King (Co-Director): Hi, my name is Hunter King and I am a current PhD student at the University of Edinburgh and one of the Co-Directors of EUSOG’s production of “Into the Woods.”
What’s your experience with Into The Woods? Is this your first time venturing in, or are you a Sondheim fanatic?
Jones: Although I have never been in a Sondheim show before, the music is not at all new to me. I have loved and sung much of the Into the Woods score prior to this production. I am a big Sondheim fan in general and do love the challenge of a tricky Sondheim piece.
King: As the Baker says in the start of Act II, “it’s always when you think you’re finally through and then, Into The Woods you go again, to take another journey.” This is my fourth time working on Into The Woods, but my first as a director, which is very exciting. I’m a big Sondheim fan and Into The Woods holds a special place in my heart, as I first did it over a decade ago as an awkward soon to be high schooler looking for a community of people, which I found largely in that cast.
When it comes to recreating one of Musical Theatre’s most beloved but also notoriously tricky scores, was there trepidation? What’s your favourite piece from the musical – and the hardest you found to work with?
Jones: The score was definitely the most daunting part of the process. With the music being so difficult but so widely known and loved, it was definitely a challenge. For me, the most difficult piece to work with was definitely the opening of Act 2, ‘So Happy’. As a cast, we have spent so long on the timings, time signature changes, and dissonant harmonies in ‘So Happy’, and though it’s sounding as it should now, it was definitely a journey to get there. On the other hand, my favourite song is without doubt ‘No One Is Alone’. The song itself is absolutely beautiful, and I love the harmonies between Cinderella and the Baker. Though a simpler song in the show, it is my favourite to sing.
King: Trepidation doesn’t even begin to describe it. This show is massive and has hurdles, roadblocks, and difficulties around every corner. That said, it is incredibly rewarding to overcome those obstacles and find the beauty that is lying underneath. My favourite piece would have to be “No More.” It holds a special place in my heart, and our Baker (Shaun Hamilton) and Mysterious Man (Marcus Webb) do it so beautifully, it’s a pleasure to watch every time. The most difficult numbers would probably be the “First,” “Second,” and “Finale Midnights” because they require very precise timing both within the music, as well as how they’ve been blocked in the production and they are repeated tunes throughout the show with ever-changing lyrics. Our cast however, has been phenomenal taking on these difficult parts of the show and making them feel natural.
If you could; who has the one song which you would love to perform, and why?
Jones: The one song I wish I could perform is ‘Last Midnight’. Aside from it being one of my favourites in the whole score, the drama and intensity of the performance is such a moment in the show. Watching our incredibly talented Witch perform it is such an honour, and it looks like so much fun that it makes me want to join in every time.
King: Honestly, having had the chance to do several of the songs in previous productions, I have to give the credit to the Witch in “Last Midnight.” That song just fully encapsulates all of the grief, anger, and mysticism she has been burdened with throughout the show and unleashes it in a fury. I love a good angry song in a musical, and this is one of my favourites, so if I had to choose one I haven’t performed, it’d have to be that one.
Would you mind giving us a flavour of what to expect? Are audiences looking at a clean retelling, or are there any unique changes or character thoughts you’re looking to bring?
Jones: Of course! Our version of Into the Woods does put a slightly modern twist on the original classic retelling. Specifically for Cinderella, she is less pristine and proper in our version. We’ve made her more of a relatable and real person by keeping her hopeful, wistful nature but playing up her anxiousness and indecisiveness, and leaning a bit more into her moments of frustration to make her feel more authentic.
King:I think our production is best approached with no expectations. It has a little bit of something for everybody. If you are a lover of the original production, you’ll surely find pieces of our show that are reminiscent of that, but if you’ve seen Into The Woods 1001 times and are looking for something different, you’ll likely also find something refreshing.
What I will say is, at the end of the day I believe Sondheim and Lapine had a goal in creating this show: to explain morality and life lessons to modern adults the same way that the original Grimm fairy tales have done for children over hundreds of years. In order to focus on that goal, we’ve worked to make the characters extra relatable, sometimes tweaking their demeanor from standard portrayals, as well as playing with modernization through the design of the show.
On that; when it comes to design and costume, this is a show entirely at the mercy of the creatives. Have you gone for full fantasy or a chique fairytale runway?
Jones: The costumes for our production do a really lovely job of being somewhere in between. We have, in fact, gone for an absolutely gorgeous ballgown for Cinderella, but the dress stays true to a formal dress you could wear nowadays, only with a bit more drama. The rest of the costumes do the same; they feel very fantastical but still aren’t too far off from everyday outfits.
King:I’d say the design we went for would be what I’d call ‘modern fantasy.’ Our costumer, Sophie Slight, has taken the concept of our modernized production and ran with it, creating costumes that are still full of the whimsy one might expect from a fairy tale, but are closer to modern dress than most productions. For example, our inspiration for our princes were modern rock musicians, and Sophie’s designs have encapsulated this idea brilliantly, having the rival princes also rival each other in fashion that mirror the styles of different music icons.
How do you find the creative process of a grassroots/student theatre group? Does it have enough draw from the audience and critics?
Jones: For my first experience of university theatre, it has been absolutely incredible. As a younger member of the cast, I am always in awe of the talent of my peers, and I think the student-led nature of the company lends itself really nicely to a more collaborative space. My directors and choreographers being students as well means that adding my input is less daunting. I think the only downside is that it is quite difficult to promote outside of the university space, as it is the kind of thing where you have to know what you are looking for to find information on the show.
King: I’d like to think that EUSOG has a pretty established community at this point, but admittedly, we’re all young(ish) people who are trying to make something great out of the resources we have available. We have a great team of over 90 people who are all focused on making this show as brilliant as possible, while also working around deadlines, exams, and general uni woes. I have to give a lot of credit to the committee of EUSOG for trusting this show to myself and my Co-Director, the incredible Tai Remus Elliot, as we’ve come in with some strong opinions, strange ideas, and general unorthodoxy. The ability to have creative freedom is a blessing that not every production is awarded, so that has been a real gift in this show. I just sincerely hope it pays off and can resonate well with our audiences and critics alike.
Finally. The Witch? Are you on the side, or are they a villain through and through?
Jones: I am fully on Team Witch throughout the show and agree with her pivotal line, “I’m not good, I’m not nice, I’m just right.” The Witch is one of the only characters that doesn’t lie to get her wish, and though she goes about things in a ruthless way, she is never completely unjust in her actions. A lot of her villainous actions come off the back of other characters lying and stealing. I don’t think she is necessarily good, but she is more complex than a character you could simply label a villain.
King: A funny exercise that our cast did the other day was to rank the characters on a scale of their morality. We discussed this, and while there was some agreement, there was a lot of disagreement, which I think perfectly describes the main understanding of the characters of the show. I think Sondheim and Lapine made this show so every single character is morally grey through and through. Is the Witch a hero? By no means. Is she a villain? I would also say no! She is just like everybody else in the story, selfish to get her wish, but rooted deeply in humanity at the end of the day.
EUSOG runs at The Church Hill Theatre until January 20th – 24th
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