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Hansel & Gretel

Published Friday 5 December 2008 at 11:20 by Andrew Blades

The tale of two children abandoned by their parents in a cold, lonely forest never fails to delight, not least in that the instincts of the young triumph over the cynicism of the old. In this new production by OTTC, a real-life Hansel and Gretel refuse to eat their dinner, prompting their mother to tell them the Grimm tale as a caution - but as in the original story, it is Gretel who emerges victorious at the end, incinerating the old harridan and giving her real mother some choice words of advice.

There are some appealing additions to the traditional plot. Mike Kenny’s version makes great use of a cowardly mouse, which will prove popular with the younger members of the audience. Musical interludes make use of strong melodies and deft wordplay, to keep the parents happy.

But the stars of the night are undoubtedly the siblings themselves. Emma-Jean Jeffries shines as Gretel, at first with naive curiosity, then with growing ingenuity as she plots to win over the witch.

David Levine’s Hansel, on the other hand, makes full use of an impressive repertoire of faces, from the intrepid to the petulant. All in all, a winning production, with just the right balance between cleverness and innocence.

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