Editing Into the Woods (section)

===Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, 2010===
A [[Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park|Regent's Park Open Air Theatre]] production, directed by [[Timothy Sheader]] and choreographed by Liam Steel, ran from 6 August to 11 September 2010. The cast included [[Hannah Waddingham]] as the Witch, [[Mark Hadfield]] as the Baker, [[Jenna Russell]] as the Baker's Wife, [[Helen Dallimore]] as Cinderella, [[Michael Xavier]] as the Wolf/Cinderella's prince, and Judi Dench as the recorded voice of the Giantess. [[Gareth Valentine]] was the musical director.<ref name="Regent's Park">[http://westend.broadwayworld.com/article/Waddingham-Russel-Lead-Open-Air-Theatres-INTO-THE-WOODS-86911-20100806 Waddingham, Russel Lead Open Air Theatre's ''Into the Woods'', 8/6-9/11] Broadway World, Retrieved July 27, 2013</ref><ref>Shenton, Mark.[http://www.playbill.com/news/article/142088-New-London-Production-of-Into-the-Woods-Opens-at-Open-Air-Theatre-Regents-Park-Aug-16 "New London Production of Into the Woods Opens at Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park Aug. 16"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017192307/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/142088-New-London-Production-of-Into-the-Woods-Opens-at-Open-Air-Theatre-Regents-Park-Aug-16 |date=2012-10-17 }} Playbill.com, August 16, 2010</ref> The musical was performed outdoors in a wooded area<!-- OUTSIDE THE THEATRE? -->. While the book remained mostly unchanged, the subtext of the plot was dramatically altered by casting the role of the Narrator as a young school boy lost in the woods following a family argument – a device used to further illustrate the musical's themes of [[parenting]] and adolescence.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

The production opened to wide critical acclaim, with much of the press commenting on the effectiveness of the open air setting. ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'' reviewer, for example, wrote: "It is an inspired idea to stage this show in the magical, sylvan surroundings of [[Regent's Park]], and designer [[Soutra Gilmour]] has come up with a marvellously rickety, adventure playground of a set, all ladders, stairs and elevated walkways, with Rapunzel discovered high up in a tree."<ref>Spencer, Charles. [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/7950065/Into-the-Woods-Open-Air-Theatre-Regents-Park-review.html "'Into the Woods', Open Air Theatre, Regent's Park, review"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621193617/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-reviews/7950065/Into-the-Woods-Open-Air-Theatre-Regents-Park-review.html |date=2018-06-21 }} telegraph.co.uk, 17 August 2010</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'' reviewer commented: "The natural environment makes for something genuinely haunting and mysterious as night falls on the audience".<ref>Wolf, Matt. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/arts/25iht-lon25.html "Playing Sondheim in the Woods"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170630121212/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/arts/25iht-lon25.html |date=2017-06-30}} ''The New York Times'', August 24, 2010</ref> The production won the [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival]] at the [[2011 Laurence Olivier Awards]]. It was captured by live by [[Digital Theatre (website)|Digital Theatre+]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Into the Woods |url=https://www.digitaltheatreplus.com/title/into-the-woods |access-date=2025-01-14 |website=Digital Theatre+ |language=en}}</ref>