IT appears LAMTA just keeps raising the bar; where will it end? When? Not any time soon I hope because as you think you have surely seen the pinnacle of what the students from Luitingh Alexander Musical Theatre Academy can achieve, they go and outdo themselves.
Into The Woods is the current production at Theatre On The Bay (and just because they can, there are two more concurrent shows coming up at the end of November) and it is jaw-dropping. I feel like I should be theatrically effusive with my praise, perhaps with a cloak, some kind of staff, certainly with grand sweeping arm gestures. The vision! The execution! The talent! I’ll stop there for now because I hate exclamation marks, but you get the idea.
Sylvaine Strike’s sorcery is more than equal to the task of keeping this large cast and their timing tight, be it dramatic or comedic. With a three-hour-plus running time, this is an admirable achievement where nothing is superfluous or left to chance, your attention is held in an iron grip, snd you are never unsure how to react. On the surface, the set is beyond simple, but those minimal props are put to a myriad of uses, and the tree are not just trees; they are living beings and very much part of what goes on in the woods. Which, let’s face it, can be scary.
Yes, yes, but what’s it about? The departure point for the not uncomplicated plot is/are the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm: Jack & The Beanstalk, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood (Ridinghood), Rapunzel, and others in smaller roles, like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White. And a hen that lays a golden egg. There are villains and princes, giants, and of course a classic warty hook-nosed witch with a vengeful curse on a childless baker and his wife. I don’t have time to explain it all here (did I mention it’s more than three hours long?) but it’s not hard to follow when you see it all unfolding in front of you. Full disclosure: having tried and failed to read the synopsis beforehand, I was worried I wouldn’t know what was going on but my fears were unfounded. If I can do it, anyone can. Point is, writing it all down makes it sound completely manic. Which to be fair, it is a bit. Better to go see it for yourself.
The Grimms’ original stories were not intended for children and include violence, cannibalism, mutilation, and tragedy. Some of these elements are portrayed here, while there is wicked humour to temper it, and gorgeous, fantastical costumes for visual (over) stimulation. And the cast, oh the cast. There are more than 20 of them, so please don’t make me single anyone out. Each and every one of them is incredible. What astonishing voices, with such deep maturity in performers so young. This is what I mean when I say LAMTA continues to raise the bar, training and teaching the singers and dancers and actors of the future. Because if they are this good now, imagine them five years from now. We can all be very excited about that.
PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel R Manners
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