hansel

The Twisted Tale of Hansel and Gretel

Malvern Theatres

****

Following the first breadcrumbs thrown down in Birmingham on the Patrick Studio floor, the fairytale trail then lead to Coventry at the Belgrade Theatre, before running to the hills in Malvern for the final part of The Twisted Tale of Hansel and Gretel.

Exasperated storyteller Nicky Priest tries to stick to the original storyboard while the talented cast members mix it up, flip it on its head and bring the beat, causing mass clapping and dancing in the aisles while jiggling jelly beans.

The storyteller loses the plot when an annoying duck seems to not only cause the impending witch problems by eating all the breadcrumbs but then inadvertently becomes the hero by making up for destroying their safe trail home. Eventually she makes it up to everyone by carrying Hansel and Gretel and The Chef? to safety over the river. The Duck, Vicki Taylor, is a true hero! It’s true but also quite quackers.

Beat-boxing Hansel, Rishard Beckett and feisty Gretel, Kimisha Lewis, untangle their evil, frying pan wielding, stepmother’s plot to leave them in the deep dark forest and defeat the hungry cannibal witch accompanied by the musical wonder of The Mockingbird, Charles Craggs. He really knows his instruments.

Luke Greenwood plays a fantastic dad and singing chef with brilliant comedy timing and rapport with wife, Jake Jarvis. Fortunately, the stepmother’s unfortunate demise doesn’t seem to darken the mood. She did have it coming to her after all.

The director Esther Simpson brings professional learning disabled artists to our stages resulting in a joyous, humorous and creative twist on a classic tale.

If you were expecting a happy ending you couldn’t be further from the weird ending you actually get. Leaves you hungry for more Twisted Tales in the future with award winning Metro-Boulot-Dodo, Open Theatre Company and Birmingham Hippodrome.

Emma Trimble

17-04-18 

Hansel and Gretel is touring again, and will be following trails of breadcrumbs to Coventry Belgrade 17-19 March and Birmingham Hippodrome 12-15 February

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