This weekend the University of Kent Musical Theatre Society (MTS) begins performances of their Autumn show ‘Into the Woods’. This is one of a few productions that the society is presenting at the Gulbenkian this year, with the venue located at the centre of the Canterbury campus. Ahead of the show’s opening on Sunday 26th January, I had the opportunity to interview directors Nic Yanni and Sofia Malanga about how they became interested in theatre and their experience working on the production. It can’t be easy juggling rehearsals for a full length musical with assignment deadlines, and it was fascinating to hear what it was about ‘Into the Woods’ that inspired them to take a turn at directing.
What sparked your interest in theatre? Why did you decide to join the University of Kent’s Musical Theatre Society (MTS)?
Sofia: For as long as I can remember I have always been interested in theatre, my parents would take me to see West End shows from a young age so I guess it came from them, and from then on I was obsessed! When I decided to go to Kent I knew straight away that I needed to join MTS as I wanted to get back into performing, and it is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Nic: My interest in theatre has always been there from a young age! Mainly the nature of performing in front of a live audience. I have always found something beautiful in the collaborative nature of what it takes to make a performance. From early on there was always joy in growing in at least some small way, whether that be my skills in acting, singing or making connections with people who perform alongside you.
MTS was a natural extension of those very same intrigues – a group of like-minded people who go out of their way to make these shows happen – make for great friends and performers. A characteristic show has had so much heart and soul put into it, and you can see the drive from our various casts through their shared love of theatre, even with the strains and stresses of university life – which we all know can be relentless!
How long have you been members and what MTS productions have you been a part of so far?
Sofia: For almost a year and a half I have been in the society and have performed in three productions before directing this one; Pippin and two student-written pieces ‘Back to Broadway’ and ‘The Final Show’.
Nic: I have been a longstanding member of MTS for 3 years now (time flies!) and ‘Into the Woods’ marks my ninth show – and third musical – since joining university.
Previously, I have been able to play the role of Jon Larson in the now very well known ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’ and the titular role of Pippin in Stephen Schwartz and Roger O’Hirson’s… ‘Pippin’.
You are co-directing ‘Into the Woods’, which is at the Gulbenkian Theatre on Sunday 26th and Monday 27 January 2025. What is it about the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine classic that inspired you both to step into the director’s seat?
Nic: Having years of singing experience tackling a broad array of beloved musicals, I always knew that I wanted to direct a show, but to me it was always about finding the right time to do it.
In an odd and slightly cheesy way, I truly felt like I was meant to do this. ‘Into the Woods’ was the show that, despite all the challenges that would arise with adapting such a well-known musical, I would be devoted enough to put on a version of this show that not only acted as a labour of love to one of my favourite musicals, but emphasises what MTS means to me.
The show’s themes of community, what we leave behind and identity really hit home with the journey I’ve taken through MTS. As my last ever endeavour with the society it became clear to me that I was in a strong position to focus on making the important elements of this show hit home.
How has it been co-directing this piece? To what extent did you come up with a shared vision?
Sofia: I feel like the directing process as well as doing a degree is never easy, but us directing together has worked really well – we have formed a great working relationship and have a mutual respect for each other’s opinions and ideas!
What has been the greatest challenge with staging this production and why?
Nic: Sondheim and Lapine’s deconstruction of fairy tales is often associated with grandiose designs in terms of its set and larger than life portrayals of well-known stories. This sets an expectation in the mind of the audience.
I took a lot of inspiration from the recent ‘Encores!’ production of ‘Into the Woods’ that started its run around 2019. While the space they used was very similar to that of the Gulbenkian, I couldn’t help but see the colourful characters against the dark stage, and realised that it perfectly captured the tone of the show. Playful, quirky and colourful characters thrown headfirst into the adversities of life, often associated with growing up and facing real, human challenges, that can’t be wished away!
It was upon seeing the quirks of that production that I knew adapting the show would not only thrive with the resources that we have, but also smarter changes that embraced our space more closely would result in more poignant stylisations, as opposed to simply chucking a forest on a stage! (For instance, you will see some of the inspiration from that production in our wonderful Milky White [cow character] and our Giantess!)
In addition, Sondheim’s work is known for being very technical and emotionally intensive in its portrayal of its characters, yet in this production it is also balanced with farce-style comedy. It’s important that both the comedy and the melodrama heart of the show is captured. It is an extremely delicate balance and capturing that authenticity was always a day one priority, proving challenging to the actors and to everyone involved in the creative team!
What can you tell me about the rehearsal process? How have you prepared for staging this full-length production around your University studies?
Sofia: As soon as we found out that the Autumn musical was going to be ‘Into the Woods’, we agreed to pitch together and spent a long time discussing ideas and making our vision for the show, which allowed for us to have a clear image in mind before we got to the rehearsal room. This really helped with balancing rehearsals alongside my degree as it meant I knew what was happening and could plan ahead and allocate time for things that needed to be done. An MTS rehearsal is normally quite fast paced as we often have to warm up and learn a whole number in the space of a few hours, so at times it can be a bit stressful. But they are always full of laughter and funny moments that make them so enjoyable, and this term has been no different.
What is your favourite song from the show and why?
Sofia: My favourite song from the show has actually changed. At the beginning of the process I would have always said ‘Agony’, but now I would say ‘Finale: Children Will Listen’. Watching the cast perform it for the first time made me really emotional because it was just so beautiful and I was so proud.
Nic: Tough tough question! Honestly, you could chuck in any of the songs from the final stretch of the show, from ‘Your Fault’ to ‘Finale: Children Will Listen’, but to me, ‘No One Is Alone’ is one of the most beautiful pieces of music Sondheim has ever written, and in the context of the show is a beautiful moment shared between the main characters. When elevated by the material that comes before – it’s what I love about the format of Musical Theatre put into practice!
What do you hope audiences take away from this production of ‘Into the Woods’?
Nic: I hope you see the work put into this show, and the things that we achieved with the resources we have.
‘Into the Woods’ is often associated with school plays or considered a musical that, while culturally important, is often considered less worthy of attention than bigger, broader musicals.
To all of us at MTS, this could be no further from the truth, and I hope people are invested in the quest the story takes us on, appreciative of the talents of these wonderful actors who are each invaluable to this show’s identity, and will laugh and cry with us on every step of the way.
Booking tickets to see ‘Into the Woods’
It was brilliant to hear from both Nic and Sofia about the show. They are clearly very passionate about Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s work. You can purchase tickets to the University of Kent Musical Theatre Society’s production of ‘Into the Woods’ via the Gulbenkian website. Tickets are priced from £8, which is considerably affordable, particularly at this point in January when we are all desperately looking forward to payday. If Sondheim isn’t your cup of tea, there is always ‘Legally Blonde’: the society’s Spring musical, which will take to the stage on Friday 14th and Sunday 16th March 2025.
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
Comments