Watch This announce their 2020 Sondheim season
We know our Sondheim fans must be wondering which of his beloved works Melbourne specialists, Watch This, will bring to life next year? Well, we have a full-moon treat for you all this Friday 13, December! AussieTheatre can exclusively announce that it will be none other than his cult classic, Into The Woods. The production will run for a strictly limited season, 16-26 September 2020 at Meat Market, North Melbourne.
Sonya Suares, Artistic Director will be teaming up with co-director Dean Drieberg again to deliver Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s most famous and frequently revived work, in the year that Mr Sondheim is due to turn 90 years old.
Now in their ninth year; and going from strength to strength, Watch This has built an admirable reputation for great quality work in this field. With rave reviews from audiences and critics alike, I have no doubt that Into the Woods will be their best production yet.
Drieberg says, “Directing a show as well-loved as Into The Woods is an opportunity to dig deep into a familiar text and rediscover who these beloved characters really are. We are interested in exploring the darkness inherent in this piece and are thrilled to be staging it at the Meat Market, taking advantage of its depth and heritage features.” Suares agrees, “The woods are a perilous place. They need to feel a bit creepy.”
Nominated for 10 Tony Awards (including Best Original Score and Best Book) and 6 Olivier Awards in its debut New York & London seasons respectively, Into the Woods has even enjoyed a film translation with an all-star Hollywood cast.
Into the Woods is set in a small village fringed by a vast forest, a collection of familiar fairy-tale characters are wrestling with unknown curses, untold desires and unnamed danger. There’s no avoiding the dark and dissonant wood into which they all must venture to pursue their dreams and confront their demons. As they bumble forth in blind pursuit of their own ends, their tales entangle and entwine.
Watch This are only announcing three cast members at this stage. Jackie Rees and Nick Simpson-Deeks, both previously nominated for Green Room awards for their roles with the company, are joined by one of Australia’s most acclaimed actresses, Zahra Newman, in the coveted role of the Witch.
The company are due to cast the remaining roles in early 2020.
Suares was enthusiastic about the year ahead.
We have a milestone to celebrate in March – Sondheim’s big birthday! We anticipate celebrations in theatre capitals across the world and as Australia’s Sondheim specialists, we’re excited to be pooling our resources and putting together a public tribute to our favourite composer/ lyricist here in Melbourne. But that’s something we’ll unveil early next year, she told us.
Until then, we’ll just have to be content with this pre-Christmas announcement.
Early bird tickets are on sale now by clicking here.
