And they all lived happily ever after... or did they? Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods is a classic musical that takes all your favourite fairytale characters, gives them their "happy endings" and then sends their lives spinning out of control with one simple message: be careful what you wish for!
With the success of the film starring Emily Blunt and Anna Kendrick earlier this year, Brisbane's Harvest Rain Theatre Company are bringing this darkly delightful show to QPAC for a limited season from October 1-4, 2015. And the cast is spectacular, including Offspring's Eddie Perfect, theatre darling Rachael Beck and the towering talent Rhonda Burchmore.
Rachel's plays the Baker's Wife, a woman who must collect magical objects from storybook characters in order to lift a curse that rendered her and her husband unable to have children. She recently sat down with Style to chat about her fairytale role.
Tell us a bit about the Baker's Wife...
She's a down-to-earth and perhaps a little downtrodden woman. One who has been trying to have a baby for a long time.
Is it strange to play a character who doesn’t really have a name? Have you and Eddie thought about what your characters' names might be?
Ha! Great question. I'm calling Eddie right now. I think their names are Eddie and Rachael.
What do you love about the show?
It's one of the most complex musicals ever written. It's like doing a sudoku, Rubix cube and cryptic crossword all at the same time.
What’s your favourite moment?
I have too many favourite moments, and sorry I'm not good with choosing them!
How have you prepared to play the Baker’s Wife?
I worked at Baker's Delight for six months. Only joking!
There’s a killer cast assembled for Into The Woods, what’s it like to work with them all?
Absolutely brilliant. We are learning from each other every day.
The show explores what happens AFTER the happy ever after in our fave fairytales, do you think kids grasp the darker concepts?
I think it's a musical with two levels. The kids will get just as much from the show as the adults. I like that it explains that there is not always a happy ending. That's life.
What’s your own personal happy ever after?
Just to keep enjoying life as it is presented to me ... Letting go when I need to and to remember to be grateful.
How do you go about picking your projects?
They pick me. Truly.
What’s next for you?
I'm across to Perth to perform a wonderful musical (playing a bipolar woman, actually) for Black Swan theatre company. The show is called Next to Normal. I'm a lucky girl!
Harvest Rain's Into the Woods
October 1-4
Concert Hall, QPAC
Book now
