Putting It Together (Foundry Theatre) ★★★★

Words & Music by Stephen Sondheim. Devised by Stephen Sondheim & Julia McKenzie. Craig Donnell for Impresario Productions. Foundry Theatre. Jan 6 – Feb 15, 2026.

We’re kicking it old school in the New Year. And I’ve got to say it feels good to be opening 2026 by seeing (and hearing) some Sondheim—performed by the very best. Seriously, I want to do things to these vocals that would make the cast of Heated Rivalry blush. If you’re a musical theatre lover addicted to big, crisp vocals and intricate intonation, then you’ll love this cast!

There is no shortage of revues based around the work of the late Stephen Sondheim (like Being Alive at the Hayes last year)—but there is only one that he was fully involved with: 1992’s Putting It Together. And despite featuring some of his best tunes, covering almost the entirety of his career, this isn’t a “greatest hits” showcase. It’s more of a thematic jukebox of Sondheim’s tunes about the messy realities of relationships.

The set-up is admittedly a bit overly-stagey. It’s a cabaret/musical/revue hybrid strung together with a very loose narrative (there is no real plot—just vibes).
Set at a New York cocktail party with two couples—one older and rich (Caroline O’Connor & Michael Cormick), the other young and ambitious (Stefani Caccamo & Nigel Huckle)—these aren’t really characters but archetypes designed to deliver songs.

We’re helped along by Bert LaBonté’s “Observer”, who blends into scenes and gives the audience some simple context. It takes a few minutes to settle into the show’s rhythms—possibly not helped by the fact it begins with some of the more obscure Sondheim tracks—but once you get on its wavelength, it really hits its stride.

The show is at its best when it plugs into Sondheim’s witty numbers like “There’s Always a Woman”, “Getting Married Today”, “More” and “Lovely”, or when it dials up the vocals and layered arrangements for the emotional heavy-hitters “Every Day a Little Death”, “Unworthy of Your Love”, “Sooner or Later” or “Being Alive”. Honestly, this is the best arrangement of “Being Alive” I’ve ever heard – the counter-melodies will give you chills.

This cast are supremely talented, with gorgeous vocals as they wrap their lungs around some of Sondheim’s trickiest melodies and comedy songs. Caroline O’Connor is clearly the gold standard here—both for her ability to interpret songs and nail the laughs. Hearing her rendition of “Ladies Who Lunch” is easily worth the price of a ticket.

The double act of Stefanie Caccamo and O’Connor excel as dueling women. Nigel Huckle’s golden voice fills the large Foundry (has he ever played Franklin Shepard in Merrily? He should play Franklin Shepard in Merrily! Or he’d make a great Bobby for Company. Caccamo would also make for an excellent gender-swapped Bobbie – any producers reading this?!). And Michael Cormick’s clarity and gravitas round out the core quartet.

And what does Sondheim have to say about relationships in the end? Well, simply that they’re multifaceted and complicated. It’s notable that Sondheim himself remained single for most of his life, acting as an observer and chronicler of people. His take on women is mixed with caustic admiration. His take on men is tinted with a sense of disappointment. When you put them together, they can bring out the best or the worst in each other.

But ultimately you’ve wound your way through the casino, into the foyer bar, past the loos, crossed the second smaller bar, down the weird funnel-shaped corridor (I really love a quirky theatre space), into the not-so-hidden gem of the Foundry Theatre for one thing—Sondheim’s music.

And this show delivers, demonstrating Sondheim’s witty, lyrical brilliance and sharp observations. There is nothing generic or predictable about his songwriting, it is still dynamic and unique. His take on relationships is rarely pretty, letting his characters show their selfish, sexist, broken flaws through song.

The way the show is constructed may seem a bit odd or even dated to some, but I guarantee you I will see this a few more times before it closes. This quintet of stage talents is hard to pass up.