Reviews

Hansel and Gretel at The Alma Tavern

Posted on: 2017-06-20

Check out Alvin Dube's thoughts of OOOH ARRR's production of Hansel and Gretel, which runs at The Alma Tavern until 23rd June.

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***Get tickets to the remaining shows here***

 

I approached this evening’s performance of Hansel and Gretel with an amount of trepidation, though I wasn’t keen for standing up, loudly voicing my dissatisfaction at particular characters, and certainly not for dancing. As much as I love the participation and interaction within panto, it was a hot and sticky night and not one on which you felt audience input would be expected.

 

I am familiar with the Alma Tavern but more as a pub rather than a theatre. Quaint and aptly decorated, it was a little on the small side, however this itself added an aspect that was used effectively manipulated by the cast.

 

Now we are all familiar with the story of Hansel and Gretel. They are two very bright children, whose famished parents leave them to die in a forest rather than all of them facing starvation. This is, of course, an age-old story that has been told on many occasions and I was fascinated to see the adaptation that OOOH ARRR Productions were to put on.

I have to be honest, the intricacies of the story had left me as I had read the book many years and ago and Hollywood’s adaptation of it was more fanatical and gore rather theatrical.

 

Yet from the get go I was impressed with the enthusiasm and energy of the players. Each character solidified their stance within the story, rather than take a pragmatic approach to their role. A surge of energy with each important point in the story was poignantly shown through sheer determination to the cause.

 

I did feel, however, that the play was an actor short as the narration was conducted by the actors which at times detracted from their character and misplaced its emphasis but it’s with this aforementioned determination that the performance managed to pull itself through.

 

The focal point or character it seemed was the ‘evil’ stepmother. Often she has been demonised in the original story but in this performance, she became humanised and the culmination of her being was described in the song ‘Growing’. The song’s lyrics provide a visual into the expectance and loss she had experienced and the coping mechanism she had used to combat these. She later turned into the evil witch, whose shrieking laughter was enough to scythe into the inner depths of your soul and give you the chills. I felt was the performance of the day.

 

I am slowly growing into the world of theatre performance as mostly I have been a fan of music. This performance did no harm to my transition, but in fact enhanced it. It was an absolute pleasure to be a witness to what I hope is the beginnings of great things to come for OOOH ARRR Productions.

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