With some trepidation I take my five-and-a-half-year-old and two-and-a-half-year-old along to see Hansel & Gretel presented by KidzStuff;my concern is the notorious “burning of the witch in the oven” scene that I have omitted when telling the kids the story prior to the performance. Fortunately there is nothing terrifying about this action-packed, fun-filled children’s production. The cast are out front and chatting to us in character as we wait for the hall to fill, which is a lovely way to ease the kids into the performance and establish rapport early on.

In the title roles, Hamish Boyle and Hannah Maison are delightful and hugely watchable.  Ordinarily Hansel is a bit hopeless and Gretel is the quick-witted one who has to save the day, repeatedly, so I appreciate how both characters have their chance to shine.

In the dual roles of the stepmother, Mrs Meanybum, who longs to move to Greytown, and the Witch (with a secret!), Clare Kerrison is perfectly OTT, vamping it up in her musical numbers. Dad (Fergus Aitken) is down-to-earth and likeable, if a bit slow to realise what his wife is plotting. 

There is plenty of opportunity for audience participation, but this means that many children feel confident enough to start directing the characters from their seats. One child works out that Boyle, as Hansel, could probably squeeze through the bars of his cage if he turns sideways; another simply yells the number for the combination lock at him. The cast deals with the over-enthusiasm of the children gently and firmly and keep the show moving along; this is part of the job description when acting in kids’ shows.  

Director Isobel Mackinnon delivers exactly what a parent hopes for: 55 well-paced minutes, with plenty of physical gags. The almost cinematic, double-time montage as the Witch feeds Hansel and checks the fatness of his fingers is particularly well done. The kids around me are totally engaged; my five-year-old is almost out of his seat with excitement and cackling with laughter.

There is a touch of nostalgia for the Generation Ys with the addition of jumping elastics and, cleverly, knucklebones instead of pebbles or crumbs to guide the duo home, after being lured into the forest by Mrs Meanybum.

The musical numbers, written by quadruple-threat Amalia Calder (writer, composer, producer, creative director), are ideal for the target audience: short, simple and catchy. It is also a nice change to hear original music rather than covers of pop songs. A basic, colourful set, a reversible gingerbread house and an excellent cage are all that is required to tell the story effectively.

KidzStuff are keeping themselves busy with twice-daily performances of Hansel and Gretel during the school holidays at the Tararua Tramping Club [details here]. It’s enjoyable, affordable fun for kids of all ages but will particularly appeal to the 3 – 7 age group.

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