Penelope is a 7-year old with an insatiable appetite for musical theatre. As our roving reporter for junior shows, she brings a child’s perspective to our coverage, offering unique insights.

Watching Into the Woods Jnr by Eltham Little Theatre Inc, directed by Gareth Clarke, was like a fairy tale party!

Penelope hadn’t seen this show before, so it was great for her to see so many of her favourite fairy tale characters like Jack (the one with the beanstalk), Little Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, Rapunzel, the Witch & even Cinderella, the evil Step Mother & Step Sisters

The songs are fun and catchy, with the cast all clearly into their roles which makes us want to see more of each character because the audience knows that they are giving their all

Penelope’s personal favourites were the Witch (Brianna Ellington) & the Wolf (Josh Smith) but Cinderella (Lily Scrivener), Rapunzel (Hayley O’Donnell) & Little Red Riding Hood (Indah Strates) really help bring the show to life with their beautiful voices.

Penelope said the costumes were so pretty, especially the dresses of the Step Mother, the Step Sisters and Riding Hoods luscious velvet red cape; all showcasing the amazing work of Jho Suckling and Lilli-Rose Lawrence, who also designed Milky White (brought to life by Maeve Lappin) making us forget that she is a prop

We love watching curtain calls to get a glimpse of the real people behind the characters and this one was full of happy faces, beaming after a confident performance by all, that the audience clearly enjoyed

Penelope gives this version of Into the Woods Jnr a big thumbs up.

It is running until 21st July, so if you love fairy tales check out this all-in-one magical musical.

Well done everyone!