Catherine Wheels Theatre Company presents
Hansel and Gretel
(from an original production by the National Theatre of Scotland)
Directed by Gill Robertson
Designed by Karen Tennent
Lighting Design by Jeanine Davies
Original Music by Steven Kettley
Barbican Theatre
1 Dec 2008 – 4 Jan 2009
 ary Couzens
A review by Mary Couzens for EXTRA! EXTRA!
This entertaining, interactive promenade production of a timeless fairytale favourite inspires wide-eyed many moments in the younger members of its audience, while keeping parents and other older viewers continually amused with its humorously broad acting, mood-enhancing soundscapes and music and cleverly designed, atmospheric sets.
An air of mystery lingered over the crowd waiting outside the Barbican Theatre for the 10:30am performance of Hansel and Gretel on press day. Considering the National Theatre of Scotland’s reputation for infusing their productions with multiple surprises, my own expectations for Catherine Wheels take on this show were up in the air, particularly in relation to what role the audience might be expected to play in this ‘interactive’ production. I needn’t have worried, as the subsequent festive foray included some silent voyeurism initially, (apart from toddlers’ babbling) as we entered the home of Hansel and Gretel at the outset of the show so we could find out just why the two children (played by adults) felt inclined to take to the woods, after which, we were invited, en masse to journey into the forest ourselves, taking refuge between its fairy lit trees in one instance, to spy on the subjects of our wandering tale as they unknowingly made their way towards the witch’s cottage.
For those who are not familiar with this fairytale (who are also, no doubt, not yet out of nappies and won’t comprehend its storyline anyway), Hansel and Gretel are two children who get lost in a forest, only to be invited in from the cold by a seemingly friendly old woman who unbeknown to them, has plans to fatten them up, then cook them for supper.
In Catherine Wheels/National Theatre of Scotland version, we get to see Hansel and Gretel’s home-life (or lack thereof) initially, with their gyrating (to Bay City Rollers!) stepmother, in their seventies styled home, with Gretel wearing a parka suspiciously like Red Riding Hoods’ hooded cape. Dad, whom the kids sensibly favour, is a right pushover for his dolly bird wife, prophetically telling the youngsters to ‘eat up’ when their stepmum serves soup that looks more like slop. Once this witch in seventies clothing has lured Dad into the bewitching chamber, Hansel and Gretel and the lurking audience find out that their parents will soon be taking them into the forest, hopefully, if stepmum cum witch gets her wicked way, never to bring them back home again. Once Hansel and Gretel are back in their parkas and wooly hats and they head off into the woods with the entire audience behind them, the real adventures begin!
That’s really about all I can say here without spoiling the surprises, of which there are many in this production, some outrageously funny and others quite scary, at least to the child in me, though the real children watching that morning didn’t seem to be that worried! Some parts of Hansel and Gretel’s journey are magical, as the audience hides amid snow encrusted trees while they stroll by, and other parts are quite dark, with discordant sounds (music and sound courtesy of Steven Kettley), and dimmed lighting (designed by Jeanine Davis) which seem to generate a kind of mist, while we brush past bits of hanging cloth and ropes designed, with great appreciation of childlike imagination, by Karen Tennent, to synch or disorient, along with the ever-thickening plot. As if the journey to the witch’s cottage wasn’t a disconcerting enough experience, with its tactile aspects and wonderfully mood altering lighting and sounds, once we are actually inside of the witches candy coated lair, we are shown to a seat (by guides) where we can appraise the impressively colourful piles of cakes and sweets on a long table in front of us, which if they weren’t plastic (apart from the sections Hansel & Gretel dive into) would be enough to lure anyone with even a hint of a sweet tooth in, let alone a couple of starving, wandering waifs! But, as sure as every kitchen has an oven, the witch’s guise of the old woman who encourages everyone to get ‘Fat, Fat, Fat,’ (sung to the tune of ‘Hot, Hot, Hot’) has plenty of nasty tricks up her sleeves.
Natalie Dew made a very frightened and hilariously sweetie greedy Gretel, who deftly hood-winks the witch, (I won’t say how), while Dylan Kennedy also made a great job of it as normally protective Hansel, whom fate puts into a position where he must let his sister take charge for once, making her victory over witch/step mother all the more enjoyable to watch. It was great fun to see these two talented actors behaving like typical children, sticking together against the adults (apart from their Dad), teasing each another and having a whale of a time during a food fight in the witch’s cottage (which also enabled them to throw sweets into the audience). Director Gill Robertson has done a great job of bringing out childish sensibilities in his actors. Children of all ages, anyone who enjoys physical theatre, actors, directors, story/fairytale lovers would especially appreciate these actors’ vigorous efforts as well as the fact that if they come to see Hansel and Gretel, they themselves could participate in the show!
Alan Wilkinson, who also played saxophone in the show, made a very convincing Dad, looking as though he didn’t know what’d hit him whenever his wife turned on the charm. Hannah Marshall on Cello heightened moments of danger and revelry throughout the performance, sometimes in conjunction with Wilkinson on sax. However, the concluding record played in the family home of Hansel and Gretel, (won’t say what it is) seemed to sum up what every good boy, and girl really wants, both in and outside of fairytale land.
Cassie Friend, who played Stepmum/Witch also deserves special mention, which is why she’s been allocated her own paragraph. As stepmum, Ms. Friend acted like such an utterly obnoxious, selfish and vicious so and so, if you’ll excuse my pantoesque reaction, that it was all I could do to keep from hissing at her when I was part of the fly on the wall gang in her house. Friend also excelled as the witch, garbed in elemental looking rags while arching her back and batting at her nose like a cat, which indeed, she put one in mind of, given her tuffs of grey hair and ferociously feline body language.
Catherine Wheel’s take on this classic fairytalealmost seems to be a case of ‘good woman/bad woman’ as it emphasises that the witch is merely the ‘real’ person behind the vain, selfish persona of evil step mum, while it is down to Gretel to save the day! However, I could go on and on about this show, and how much fun it is, but I wouldn’t want to spoil its surprises. Suffice it to say that it beats out any other children’s/family Christmas show I’ve ever seen, hands down! As the song says, ‘If you go into the woods today, you’re in for a big surprise...’ When roaming through the scenes of this show, children of all ages (and that means you) are sure to find this production of Hansel and Gretel great, full on family fun!
www.barbican.org.uk/bite
Box Office 0845 120 4678
Barbican Theatre
Performances 10:30am, 1pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm
Signed performance Dec. 13 – 1pm
70 minutes – no interval
£10 children
£18 adults
Age guidance 8+
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