If you’ve ever wondered how the popular fairytales you know and love could’ve turned out differently, this is the musical for you! This May will bring the magical and twisted world of ‘Into the Woods’ – the 1987 Tony-award-winning musical by Stephen Sondheim – to the stage of Teatru Manoel in Valletta, for two weekends between the 9th and the 18th May.
Directed by Lucienne Camilleri, with musical direction by Ryan Paul Abela and production design by Matthew Cassar, ‘Into the Woods’ brilliantly weaves together beloved Brothers Grimm characters – from Little Red Riding Hood to Jack (of Beanstalk fame), Cinderella, Rapunzel, and others, crisscrossing their stories into a wonderfully twisted tale.
Forget the sugar-coated versions, though! Into the Woods delves into the human psyche, unpacking the consequences of wish-fulfilment, ambition, and the messy reality behind every dream come true. As Lucienne Camilleri explains, ‘It’s a story about our obsessive desire to chase the unattainable... only to realise it may not have been what we wanted in the first place.’
Making the story even more magical is the stellar cast, with Dorothy Bezzina as the witch, Joel Parnis as the baker, Rachel Fabri as the baker’s wife, Thomas Camilleri and Ryan Grech as the Princes, Gianluca Cilia as Jack, Nadia Vella as Cinderella, and Stephen Oliver as the narrator, just to mention a few!
If you’d like your little ones to experience the magic with you, there will be a matinee performance at 3 PM on Sunday 11th May and a morning show at 11 AM on Sunday 18th May.
Convinced? Get your tickets from the Teatru Manoel website or call the Teatru Manoel Box Office at +356 2124 6389.
Curious about how your favourite fairy tales could get turned upside down?