The talent and professionalism of Walmsley Church AODS shines through as they take you on a magical journey Into The Woods. The musical, based on James Lapine's book of the same name, with music and lyrics written by Stephen Sondheim, opened to a full house.

It follows the story of the Baker and his wife as they seek to have a child. On their journey they encounter various fairytale characters who either help or hinder them in their quest. Their second show of the year seamlessly combines the classic stories of Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel, setting the scene in each, before the characters head into the woods - where the real story begins.

The characters are truly brought to life through the energetic enthusiasm of the cast, not to mention the powerful singing. The detailed use of costume, varied scenery, lighting and even the odd special effect help to create the atmospheric setting from which rises a unique and enchanting performance.

Teri Jones

One has to admire the sagacity of a composer/lyricist along with a society that has the confidence to present a show which is not universally acceptable to your average audience. Director Nora Howcroft could be described as a devotee of all things Sondheim and her enthusiasm shone through via the cast.

With such a convoluted storyline, clarity of diction and an efficient sound system are essential. Both were found wanting to a certain degree and I fear that some of the audience were a little mystified as to the intentions of the plot.

There were some very good perfomances particularly from David Wilson as the Baker and Vicki Wilson as the Baker's wife. Lindsey Farnworth made a delightful Cinderella, Renee Easterbrook a suitably despicable witch, whilst Kathy Turton skipped through the proceedings as the fiesty Little Red Riding Hood. I would have expected Glynis Poole to be a little more horrid as Cinderella's stepmother and David Griffiths a touch more dopey as Jack, however Don Howcroft made an expressive Mysterious Man, Mike Taylor a suitably upper crust Cinderella's Prince as was David Witt as Rapunzel's Prince. Vocally the company coped well with the difficult score and none more so than Ann Haslam who sang wonderfully well as Rapunzel.

Excellent staging with some good special effects and pyrotechnics helped to maintain the healthy pace of the production. As with some of the Sondheim shows one waits for the 'tune' to appear but, unlike the local bus sevice when three appear at once. it's more like British rail where it's inevitably late, or in this case, it never arrives at all. Perhaps we have to wait until enough societies have presented enough shows to teach our audiences - however I always thought we were in the business of entertainment and not education. Whichever side of the Sondheim fence you belong, unfortunately I sit uncomfortably astride it, the Director Nora Howcroft, Musical Director Marjorie Hough and the cast have to be complimented on an excellent production.

Glyn Neary