The story of Hansel & Gretel is over 200 years old so to make this version feel classic and contemporary at the same time is no mean feat.
“Our story’s done. See a mouse run. And whoever catches it can make a great big furry hood from it.” Hansel and Gretel, Grimm Brothers
Join Hansel, his sister Gretel and a mischievous little mouse called Monty, as they tumble through their story book and into an enchanted forest of technicolour. Together with a host of woodland creatures they will take you on a magical journey to defeat the witch in her sweetie house.
Starting with a tale of a bullied boy being chased around a library we are soon transported into the titular book. Through this lens we see the story unfold via the eyes of ‘Monty’ who has become a mouse and is interfering with the story as all unfolds. With innovative set design and lighting, immersive sound and some extravagant dance numbers from an excellent cast of only 6, that fill the stage, it all makes for a rapturous 90 minutes (plus interval).
The real stand out of the show is the songs, written by local pop maestro (also known as Goldie Fawn) Katie Richardson. They feel like real songs that have been tweaked to fit the story and embrace the nuances of what makes a musical. They obviously draw influences from contemporary artists (did I detect a hint of Taylor Swift in there?) and as such are perfect for family audiences and especially kids with their already limited attention span.
After a rather amusing section with a beaver (animal), that is a beaver (scouts), eating the breadcrumbs The whole story ends up in this brighter-than-bright sweetie house with a witch that likes to eat kids, something that my slightly macabre 9-year-old really liked, and a redemption arc that veered from the original story, but made for a better lesson than just burning an old lady alive.
I was amazed my 9-year-old sat through this whole show, without bribing or discussion, as he has a historically low barometer for live theatre. But sit he did, and even declared it ‘Good!’ which is as good as it gets with him, and I’d definitely recommend this as a show that the whole family can enjoy.
Hansel & Gretel runs until the 6th Jan. For more info and tickets see the Lyric website
