Hansel and Gretel

Brother and sister relationships in opera veer to the dysfunctional – most often murderous, sometimes even incestuous.

So, hurrah to Grimm’s Hansel and Gretel, a dynamic double act of sibling support who go into the woods hand in hand to find their dreams and face their demons. Though poor in means, they are rich in resourcefulness, and demonstrate that by working together in a union they are stronger than standing alone.

This new production of Humperdinck’s humdinger of an opera is set in a divided world where wishes are walled in, and witches wait for you in the west. But ultimately this story ends happily with a family reunification.