Dave Kingsbury visits the gingerbread house in Hansel and Gretel at the Playhouse...
Fairy-tales don’t come much scarier than the traditional story behind this lively and engaging little show. All credit then to the writer, production staff and actors who have come up with a surprisingly sunny and finally uplifting little entertainment.
The two children face problems aplenty, of course, but somehow manage to overcome them with the help – and sometimes, amusingly, hindrance – of woodland creatures they meet along the way. There is some very clever puppetry going on here. In the end the lost siblings manage to discover that teamwork works rather better than, well, just going one’s own way regardless of anybody else. And compassion turns out to be a key to unlock doors, a lesson – here delivered in a charming and appealing way – that we might all do well to heed!
The hour-long show – just right for its intended audience of three-eight year-olds – is fast-paced, often funny and full of little surprises. The script is witty enough to entertain grown-ups while being sufficiently direct and story-based to keep young attentions from wandering. There’s also effective audience involvement and some eye and ear catching audio-visual and musical touches.
My grandchild, aged three, was certainly all eyes and ears throughout – which is really the only review that counts!
Hansel and Gretel by Monika Johnson plays at the Playhouse from Friday 8 December to Sunday 31 December 2023
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