Hansel & Gretel
A delicious festive treat for all the family.
Follow our trail of breadcrumbs into the woods for an all you can eat feast of festive fun with lashings of music, magical puppetry and laughs for all the family.
Can Gretel save her brother and get back to the comforting glow of their real house?
Can Hansel put down the cake and help?
Join our band of actor-musician-storytellers to find out.
New venue, The Berry Theatre in Hedge End, Southampton, invited Hiccup Theatre to collaborate with them and two other South East based theatre Companies (Peut-etre and Unpacked) to make their first Christmas show in 2011.
Sarah directed the show and Ivan composed the music and played the role of The Woodcutter. Hiccup’s Director Sarah Brigham led the overall artistic process. We began by engaging in a series of development days with all three companies. We shared practice, got to know each other and developed our ideas on the process. We then brought the actors in and devised the performance – a unique take on the classic Grimm Brother’s Tale.
Alongside this production Hiccup Theatre delivered a number of participatory workshops.
Credits
Devised by the Company
Designed by John Barber
Puppet Maker: John Barber
Music and Songs Composed by Ivan Stott
Dramaturgy: Rachel Barnett
Movement Director: Daphna Attis
Creative Team: Clare Dunn
Creative Team: Darren East
Creative Team: Zoe Hunter
Creative Team: Gilbert Taylor
Costumier: Nia Evans
Lighting Designer: Luke Hornbuckle
Where we played
We played The Berry Theatre, Hedge End from 12th -24th December, 2011
What our audiences said about the show
“Amazing I loved it so much!” audience member age 9
“Funny and I liked dancing to the songs” audience member age 4
“Dear Sirs
I would just like to write to say how much my whole family enjoyed the show, which we came to see on Saturday. It was brilliant – well staged, well acted, well sung. Absolutely loved it. Please pass on my thanks to the cast for a job well done. Look forward to coming back again soon.
Kind regards
Karen Robins”
“My children, my husband and my mother all came to see Hansel and Gretel at the Berry on Sunday afternoon and we all thought it was wonderful. My five-year-old daughter is still singing the songs and talking about the witch.
Thank you!
Lesley”
“Hello
My family and i came to the theatre on the 23rd Dec to see Hansel and Gretel and we absolutely loved it. I just wanted to tell you what a great time we had at the theatre and the show was fantastic. All of our three children from the 3 year old to the 8 year old were riveted to their seat and we talked about it all over Christmas.
Thank you
Rachel Dodge”
What the Press Said
‘I give it 10,000 per cent’ my son announced and, mathematical accuracy aside, I have to agree that the first Christmas show at The Berry Theatre is simply first class.
Open since April, The Berry Theatre proves the perfect venue for this sugar-coated production of Hansel and Gretel. The multi-talented trio of Edward Wren, as Hansel, Deborah Pugh, as Gretel, and Ivan Stott, as the woodcutter, delight the audience with their acting, singing, mastery of at least seven musical instruments and stunning puppetry skills. The story opens on Christmas Eve at the Woodcutter’s cottage where the ungrateful siblings refuse the wooden gifts crafted by their father.
Hoping to teach them a lesson he abandons them in the forest where they will have to work together to find their way home. But it is not until they encounter The Witch and her dastardly plan of eating the children for Christmas that they finally see the light.
With their bobble hats firmly in place the childish antics and squabbling of Hansel and Gretel have children in stitches while striking a chord with every parent present.
John Barber’s puppets, Guthrie, the woodpecker, and The Witch, are spellbinding to watch and the lyrics of the songs, written and composed by Ivan Stott, are so clever you are hanging on every word.
The venue offers the chance for the characters to interact with the audience, including throwing sweets to the eager children, and while your attention moves away from the stage, set changes happen almost miraculously. Hansel and Gretel is not your average pantomime and you are unlikely to hear a single shout of ‘He’s behind you’ but this is a festive treat in more ways than one.”
The Daily Echo and the Hampshire Chronicle: Tessa Castle
Go to the Gallery
Hansel & Gretel
Click on a title to play the song
