The finest performance comes from Sophie Thompson, as the baker's wife, who is painfully vulnerable and yet aches for something beyond the life she knows. Her absence for much of the second act leaves an emotional hole which the production struggles to fill. In many ways, her journey is the greatest of all as she learns that what she really wants is not a dream, or a nightmare, but something in between. Clare Burt's witch expresses all the fury, hurt and confusion that parenthood can sometimes lead to in Stay With Me . Her clawing hands are not just those of a fairy tale witch but, also, suggest the constant tension at the heart of her dark soul.
Performances are beautifully detailed and the lyrics mined for every nuance.
For the first time, I heard all the words to Your Fault , when the baker, Jack, Red Riding Hood and Cinderella all blame each other for what has befallen them, and was able to fully understand the witch's mounting rage and disbelief which leads to her climactic LastMidnight . I loved the way Red Riding Hood joined in with the wolf's vaudeville routine, Hello, Little Girl , as she falls prey to his feral charms. On the debit side, some of the playing seems too big for the small space. Consequently, a little humanity is sacrificed and this production isn't as moving as others have been. A gony - lose out as a result.