Step into the magical and twisted world of your favourite Brothers Grimm fairy tales, in an exciting production of Stephen Sondheim's award-winning musical, Into the Woods. The Teatru Manoel stage will transform into a fairy tale forest in this production directed by Lucienne Camilleri, with musical direction by Ryan Paul Abela and production design by Matthew Cassar.

"I was introduced to Sondheim a number of years ago when my son travelled to the UK to pursue his studies in musical theatre and drew me into this wonderful world that is Sondheim, an incredible playwright who puts extraordinary music to text," director Camilleri said. "Into the Woods is no exception and in this musical we are propelled into an etude of the human psyche and its obsessive desire to want what seems unattainable only to find that we didn't really desire it after all. True to life, we are drawn to make impulsive decisions that don't always turn out for the best. But in making mistakes we discover different strengths. We all desire fairy tale lives but when push comes to shove, those very fairy tales can fling us into the deepest abyss of deceit and uncertainty. Sondheim then poses the question - is there a way out?"

Into the Woods is a 1987 multiple-award winning musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. This production boasts a formidable 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, among many other talented performers.

"Rehearsals have been intense but our cast has bloomed and blossomed impressively," Camilleri expressed. "They have understood the complexities and challenges of this musical and risen admirably to the occasion. It takes time to build a working relationship in the short time we get to work together but because of their commitment and passion this slight inconvenience has been hurdled and they have bonded exceptionally well."

This marks the third major collaborative musical between Lucienne, Abela and Teatru Manoel. On her work with Abela, Camilleri said "working with Ryan has been rather like a familial enterprise. Built on similar passions and ambitions we strive to perfect all we endeavour to do together. I believe it is thanks to him that I have achieved much of my success simply because when he proposes some of the most challenging musicals he gives me that endearing look and says - we can do this! Is it all smooth running? Certainly not! What fun would that be if we do not challenge and question each other's opinions?"

Designing the production is Matthew, who is working on the set, costumes and some other surprises. "Into The Woods' rich blend of classic fairy tales makes for an incredibly exciting creative challenge," he told us. "What I love most is the opportunity to play with these familiar stories while giving them an unexpected twist. For this production, we aimed to infuse a darker, more atmospheric feel while incorporating striking pops of colour to create a visually captivating experience. We're confident that the result will be a true feast for the eyes!"

Cassar and Camilleri both pointed out the importance of collaboration on a production of this scale, with Cassar highlighting that "bringing the show to life wouldn't have been possible without the incredible teamwork across multiple departments at Teatru Manoel. From set and costumes to props, puppets, hair and makeup, every department has poured their passion and creativity into making this production truly special. It has been inspiring to see so many talented individuals come together to craft a world that captivates audiences".

Into the Woods runs for two weekends between 9 and 18 May at Teatru Manoel, with various starting times including morning and matinee shows. The run-time is roughly 2 hours and 45 minutes including an interval.

For more information on showtimes and ticket prices, and to book your tickets, visit https://teatrumanoel.mt/event/into-the-woods/ or call the Teatru Manoel Box Office on +356 2124 6389