Witches come in all shapes and sizes. Nevertheless, prepare yourself to be surprised by the WNO take on the species in their current revival of their 1998 production of Hansel and Gretel.
This adaptation of the Brothers Grimm fairy-tale has dark undertones with overt reference to hunger, cannibalism and child abuse, given added projection in the bloody open-mouthed gaping yaw of designer John Macfarlane’s scenic drops – enough to frighten an adult let alone a child.
Director Richard Jones has chosen to focus on this hunger as the raison de’etrê of his production, exemplified in Act I as a sparsely furnished kitchen, with an interior not in rustic shades – as one might expect – but in grey monotones, pinpointing a referral to today’s society.
Cruelty on various levels is the pivot on which the story revolves. Not pleasant, but redeemed by some great touches of satire and the high standard of both the music, under the baton of Lothar Koenigs, and the singing – which comes pretty high on the list when attending an opera performance. The two main characters are the poor broom maker’s children, left at home alone and hungry. When their mother returns from work, she is furious at the chores left undone and sends them into the forest to pick berries. They become lost and eventually are put into a spell-induced sleep by the Dew Fairy, giving rise to a dream sequence with angels with grotesque masks – more Danse Macabre than Angel Delight. On waking, the children come across a gingerbread house owned by a witch with cannibalistic tendencies and a taste for the tender flesh of children in particular. Her aim is to fatten them up before popping them into the oven – an aim which soon becomes evident to the siblings who are scoffing the treats she provides.
Cast in the male role of Hansel, soprano Jurgita Adamonytế is suitably boyish, while Ailish Tynan tosses her tied into bunches hair as Gretel and skilfully executes both her solo arias and some skilfully choreographed dance steps As their mother, Miriam Murphy is a bad-tempered virago expert at administering a swift slap but transmogrifies into the more traditional warm-hearted mum at the end. Ashley Holland brings his fine baritone to the role of the father. But it is Adrian Thompson’s witch that steals the show, bringing an expert sense of timing and a comedic touch to lighten what could otherwise be a heavy Act III.
Perhaps not surprisingly, though, the biggest round of applause of the night was for 16 children who sing as the opera draws to a close. The standard of their singing was a credit both to them and their choirmaster. Overall a clever and well thought out production of a classic.
Further performances, February 25 & 27 at Wales Millennium Centre and Venue Cymru, Llandudno, March 17