Hansel & Gretel
Aurora Centre, Burnside, Christchurch
20/07/2011 - 23/07/2011
Production Details
Written and directed by Dan Bain
Unique Take on Timeless Tale
An anthropomorphic oven, fake bogies, an inflatable bottom – and no dialogue.
The upcoming Court Theatre holiday show brings a beloved fairytale to life – with a big, fat twist.
HANSEL & GRETEL opens at the Aurora Centre on 20 July and runs for a strictly limited season until 23 July. Writer and director Dan Bain, who created last year’s popular A Paint Box of Clowns, says audiences will see a show that incorporates physical comedy, clowning and mime into a unique retelling of the classic story.
“This interpretation is true to the original Hansel and Gretel story but uses music, sound effects and physical comedy rather than dialogue,” says Bain, “it’s telling the story in a way that hasn’t been done before and connects to kids of all ages.”
Bain says that the larger venue of the Aurora Centre “gives us a bigger playground to play in, so the set, costumes and performances are all larger-than-life.”
This will be The Court’s first children’s show since the February 22 earthquake, and Court Artistic Director Ross Gumbley says for a huge number of kids and parents, coming to a Court school holiday show is a big part of their holidays.
“We are focused on getting back to some sense of normality as soon as possible so it was really important to continue the tradition,” he says. The ticket price remains at $9 for all ages “ensuring everyone can come along and enjoy for less than a movie ticket”.
Actors Hamish Parkinson and Monique Clark play Hansel and Gretel, while Dan Allan plays the various other characters they encounter; including the wicked witch.
Dan Bain says the strictly limited four-day season for HANSEL & GRETEL means tickets will be snapped up even more quickly and encourages those keen to see the show to book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
HANSEL & GRETEL
PERFORMANCES
11am & 1pm Wednesday 20 July – Friday 22 July, 11am Saturday 23 July
The season is strictly limited to four days only
TICKETS: All tickets $9
BOOKINGS: 963 0870 or www.courttheatre.org.nz
CAST: Dan Allan, Monique Clark and Hamish Parkinson
Theatre , Children’s , Clown , Comedy , Family ,
A charming and slightly offbeat entertainment
Review by Lindsay Clark 20th Jul 2011
The audience for Dan Bain’s version of the beloved fairytale is relatively quiet. This is because they are deeply absorbed and concentrating in a way not required by the noisy cartoonish remakes which often pass for children’s theatre. The Bain tale is mimed as well as original in its adaptations and additions, so that non-engagement is not an option, even if you thought you knew the story.
Mindy’s bedroom, from the current evening production of Five Women Wearing the Same Dress, is transformed into the woodcutter’s cottage featuring a serious looking stove and a portrait of happier times. There is no grim echo of the original story where the hapless siblings overhear the plot to dump them in the forest. Instead, a nimble Hansel and sprightly Gretel frolic about teasing each other until Pa comes in and yes, the supper dish of bare bones is revealed, as are subsequent attempts to leave the young ones away out there on the forestage forest.
In this version, the Witch is more proactive than Bothers Grimm envisaged and there is a cheerful radio which announces the imminent appearance of the King of the Birds, who is recruiting for his court. She is on the prowl in some imaginative scenes. He is a dazzling blue creation who will eventually solve the problem of what will happen after the Witch meets her fiery end. Hansel and Gretel, in silhouetted puppet form, simply fly away with their new patron, up above the roof top to happier times.
Dan Allan, Monique Clark and Hamish Parkinson form the lively trio working with this imaginative material. They do well to sustain momentum and clarity. Audience participation, for example in la-la-ing the underscore tune, is not easily obtained. Nor is persuading young ‘volunteers’ to pick up breadcrumbs or ‘fly’, but as usual, good humour and friendly nudging meets success.
The result is a charming and slightly offbeat entertainment that will brighten many a holiday agenda.
_______________________________
For more production details, click on the title above. Go to Home page to see other Reviews, recent Comments and Forum postings (under Chat Back), and News.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
Comments