Written by Hope Massiah
Directed by Dawn Reid
Theatre Royal Stratford East
29 November, 2008– 17 January, 2009
 Couzens
A review by Tim Jeeves for EXTRA! EXTRA!
Disclaimer: Please bear in mind when reading the following that I’m a bit of a grump when it comes to Christmas shows. After extensive discussion with the king and queen-pins of Extra Extra, they, in their infinite wisdom, did still see fit to send me off to check out Hansel and Gretel. And being the obedient reviewer that I am, off I went.
What an absolute storming work of theatre this is. A nigh on perfect piece of performance. If God made pantos, then he’d probably have the story of Christ in them, but if he fancied a break from that, then he’d be getting down to the Theatre Royal and contributing his tuppen’worth to Hansel and Gretel.
The set was lifted straight out of a fairy tale, the sense of fun generated in the auditorium was second to none and each and every performance was brimming with character. If someone absolutely has to be singled out for the Jeeves Award for Outstanding Perfomance in a Panto though (a prize which isn’t awarded very often) then Natalie Best as the girly and optimistic Gretel and Josephine Lloyd-Welcome as the terrifying Wicked, Wicked Witch would share the prize.
The music was sing-along splendour with just a hint of dancehall to keep the contemporary urban edge that lingered under the show as a whole consistent; Monty Mole’s theme is still circulating round my skull now, a day and a half later.
Special note must also be paid to Paul Kieve’s illusionist work in the direction of the play. Fresh from working on such spectaculars as the Harry Potter films and The Lord of the Rings stage show, this man can actually do magic for real. At one point the wicked witch’s snivelling henchman Wolf actually vanishes in a puff of smoke.
Truly brilliant!
Storywise, Hope Massiah’s writing was rooted in the original tale enough to keep traditionalists happy, but also updated enough to keep us interested.
She tells us that after Hansel and Gretel’s father’s latest business venture has failed in the city, he’s taken the family off to the woods so he can try his hand at woodcutting, whilst his new wife, the eponymous pair’s not particularly evil stepmother, fears that her adopted teenage offspring will start sprouting hoodies and causing mayhem. And thus the stage is set for the tale that we know so well.
I’m still wary of Christmas shows, I suspect that Hansel and Gretel is the exception that proves the rule. There’s an awful lot of celebrity name dropping money-spinners out there. But seeing this, with its refusal to bring in an exorbitantly priced B-lister, did provide me with one of the best nights at the theatre that I’ve had all year.
If there’s any problem with the show, it’s that it made me fell my age – I left wholeheartedly wishing I was 7, just so as to be even more whisked away by the magic. If you know anyone at all of around that age, get them and their parents along to this and give them a very, very happy Christmas.
29th November 2008 – 17th January 2009
Ticket Info (£16/£10/£6)
Box Office: 020 8534 0310
www.stratfordeast.com
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