Into the Woods at the Noël Coward Theatre: meet the West End cast

Into the Woods has arrived in the West End. Jordan Fein’s Olivier-winning revival of the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical is in previews at the Noël Coward Theatre ahead of its opening on 7 October 2026, with Kate Fleetwood back as the Witch at the head of a cast that mixes new arrivals with performers who have been with the show since 2025. Performances run until 9 January 2027, and you can choose your date on our Into the Woods tickets page.

The transfer comes from the Bridge Theatre, where the staging won Best Musical Revival at the Olivier Awards and played a multi-extended run that ended in May. Previews at the Noël Coward Theatre began on 22 September. It is the Bridge Theatre’s debut West End transfer, and the show has not been seen in the West End since 1991.

Who is in the West End cast?

Kate Fleetwood reprises her celebrated performance as the Witch. She is joined by a group of new names for the West End run: Simbi Akande as Cinderella, John Dagleish as the Baker, Laura Pitt-Pulford as the Baker’s Wife, Keith Ramsay as Jack, Fiona Finsbury as Rapunzel, Lucas Koch as Rapunzel’s Prince, Matthew Seadon-Young as Cinderella’s Prince and the Wolf, Jack Quarton as the Steward and Michael S. Siegel as the Narrator.

Returning from the Bridge Theatre run are Valda Aviks as the Grandmother and the Giant, Geoffrey Aymer as Cinderella’s Father, Jennifer Hepburn as Cinderella’s Stepmother and alternate Witch, Hana Ichijo as Lucinda, Julie Jupp as Jack’s Mother, Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson as Florinda and Gracie McGonigal as Little Red Ridinghood.

Hollie Aires, Sabrina Aloueche, Jacob Fowler, Adam Robert Lewis, Sophie Linder-Lee, Toby Turpin and Elsie Watson are the standbys.

Producer Jamie Wilson said: “We have been blown away by the public reaction to the West End transfer of Into The Woods. With the cast who have joined this transfer and those who have been with the production since 2025, we have a phenomenal group of performers.” He added that the team had enjoyed adapting the Bridge Theatre production “into its new life at one of the West End’s most beautiful playhouses, the Noël Coward Theatre.”

What is Into the Woods about?

Sondheim and Lapine weave several fairytales together into a single story. A childless Baker and his Wife set out to lift a curse placed on them by the Witch next door, and to do it they need four things: a cow as white as milk, a cape as red as blood, hair as yellow as corn and a slipper as pure as gold. Their quest crosses paths with Jack and his beanstalk, Little Red Ridinghood, Rapunzel and a young woman trying to get to the King’s festival, and everybody gets their wish by the interval.

The second act is where the musical really comes into its own. Wishes have consequences, giants have families, and the characters have to work out what they owe each other when happily ever after comes apart. Songs include Children Will Listen, No One Is Alone, Agony and the title song, and it is witty, moving and very grown-up by turns.

Into the Woods premiered on Broadway in 1987, and the original London staging opened at the Phoenix Theatre in 1990. A film version followed in 2014, introducing the songs to a whole new generation of fans, and this staging now has an Olivier Award of its own.

Fein’s staging, designed by Tom Scutt, was hailed by The Standard as “a triumphant musical mash-up of fairytales”, and The Times called it “stunning”. You can read more about the transfer in our earlier report on Into the Woods heading to the West End after its Olivier Award win.

Before you book

The show runs for about 2 hours and 40 minutes, including an interval. The theatre recommends it for ages 12 and over, and children under 3 are not admitted. The show uses haze, loud noises, flashing lights and strobe effects.

Evening performances are Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, with matinees on Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm. There are extra performances over Christmas and New Year, and no shows on 24 and 25 December. With a strictly limited run ending on 9 January 2027, dates around Christmas are likely to be popular, so book early if you have a particular performance in mind. Every available date is listed on the Into the Woods show page.

Getting to the Noël Coward Theatre

The Noël Coward Theatre is at 85–88 St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4AU, in the heart of theatreland. Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Charing Cross Underground stations are all a few minutes’ walk away, and Charing Cross is the nearest mainline station. The theatre opened in 1903 as the New Theatre and is a Delfont Mackintosh house. Find out more on our Noël Coward Theatre page.

With a much-praised staging, a starry Witch and only a few months in town, this is a rare chance to see a much-loved Sondheim classic in the West End. Book Into the Woods tickets for dates up to 9 January 2027.