Hansel and Gretel'

Press, 1 May 1989, Page 7

Hansel and Gretel'

“Hansel and Gretel” by Richard Gill, directed for Canterbury Children’s Theatre by Penny Giddens at Repertory Theatre April 29 to May 13. Saturday and Sunday 2 p.m. Tuesday to Friday 7 p.m. Running time Ihr 20min. Reviewed by Lindsay Clark.

Leaves are falling in Christchurch Streets and parks but in the Repertory Theatre an evergreen forest has sprung up, designed by Jocelyn White for the Canterbury Children’s Theatre’s present enterprise. Moreover, it has singing trees that move about, butterflies, birds, assorted beasts and even a witch. No doubt it will be a popular venue of the young theatregoers of the city over the school holidays. With her accustomed feeling for good story-telling, Penny Giddens’s direction is characterised by confidence and precision. As in most presentations from this group, the breadth of expertise covered by the production team is revealed in imaginative make-up, costuming, setpainting and special effects. In particular the puppets enable some moments of genuine theatrical magic while the fiery oven is a focus of excited attention.

The element of spectacle is especially welcome since the story line, already familiar, is rendered thoroughly predict-

able in this version adapted from Humperdinck’s Opera. The central characters of the play are all tackled with gusto. Hansel (Bryan Smith) and Gretel (Louise Frost) work well together and some robust singing helps maintain a strong stage presence through the musical numbers. Peter (Alister Eddington) and Gertrud (Diana Parsons) are also effective in their roles as the parents who unwittingly allow their children to wander into mortal danger. It is Tony Couch, however, as the thrillingly ugly witch who injects real excitement into the scene. Wardrobe and make-up both served well to create an image unforgettable, even when reduced to a gingerbread replica. In the face of so much positive enjoyment, the minor uncertainties of timing, some reservations on dance sequences and masked angels will probably not be noticed by the young audiences.

From the anticipation built up by preperformance conversations with cast members in the aisles to the traditional onstage interviews after, an engaging enthusiasm prevails. Over all, those fortunate enough to include a trip to this Teutonic forest on their holiday calendar will not be disappointed.