As mega-hit Into the Woods wows the West End, what’s the secret weapon of this Sondheim spectacular?

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>With its shimmering forest and its plunge into darkness and destruction, this fairytale romp bagged an Olivier for its lighting – and, reveals designer Aideen Malone, it wasn’t even finished</p><p>For a minute I worry that Aideen Malone might return her Olivier award. “It’s funny that I won an award for it, because I would say Into the Woods is one of the most unfinished pieces I have ever done,” declares the lighting designer. “There was a lot of detail we never got a chance to finish. We ran out of time – big time!”</p><p>Luckily, the judges and audiences disagreed. If you want to see enchantment, take yourself to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/sondheim">Stephen Sondheim</a>’s musical set in the twisted world of fairytale. Cinderella, Red Riding Hood and others bounce into the forest, which shimmers in a weave of powdery, gleaming branches and light angling through all the trees. Now transferred to the West End from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/dec/12/into-the-woods-review-bridge-theatre-london">London’s Bridge theatre</a>, it’s a breathtaking piece of design for a seriously playful musical.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/oct/26/aideen-malone-lighting-fairytale-musical-into-the-woods-sondheim-olivier">Continue reading...</a> This development from The Guardian highlights ongoing changes in the sector.