The Royal New Zealand Ballet has once again wowed us all, this time with their rendition of the classic and unsettling story of Hansel & Gretel.
Dancing to the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, each move was executed with perfection and the whimsical set design transported you to another world. The bold and stunning choreography can be credited to Loughlan Prior, who has done a fantastic job at pushing traditional boundaries with cabaret-style dances throughout. While the first half was fabulous, the performance really bursts to the next level in the second act as the children enter the Gingerbread House and a world of colour is revealed.
Hansel & Gretel is a German fairytale from the pen of the Brothers Grimm and was published in 1812. While the ballet follows the storyline, there are some distinct differences from the well-known tale – it’s more Americanised and the children are not abandoned in the woods by an evil stepmother but rather run away from the home of loving parents who can’t afford to put food on the table. Hansel and Gretel don’t fit in with their peers, and it is in the first act we get a glimpse of The Witch, luring the children in to buy ice cream on a bicycle ridden by a slightly disturbing, fully masked Gingerbread Man.
At times it feels like you are watching a film rather than a full stage production as the ballet cleverly uses lighting and screen projections. Much of the first half is a wash of grey, black and white but the stage explodes with colour as the second half takes off. There are so many memorable characters throughout, including Katharine Precourt as The Ice Cream Witch, who draws you in with her charm and amazing footwork. As The Transformed Witch, Paul Mathews nails the perfect combination of pretty/ugly. There are boogie men, dew fairies, gingerbread men, ghost children and ice-cream people, and the forest birds sweeping away the breadcrumbs steal the show with a cuteness overload.
Nadia Yanowsky and Joseph Skelton as the parents put on an amazing performance, with many scenes of their own. Mayu Tanigaito captivated the audience as the Queen of the Dew Fairies as she pirouetted across the stage and danced alongside Allister Madin, King of the Dew Fairies. Shaun James Kelly captured the essence of Hansel, a shy and somewhat pitiful character, while Kirby Selchow was a confident and switched-on Gretel.
This is definitely a little out of the box for a traditional ballet but still has all the classic dance elements. The entire cast performed their roles with gusto, which was the cherry on top of such an upbeat show. The curious world created by costume and set designer Kate Hawley will have you fully immersed and feeling nostalgic.
You can catch Hansel & Gretel at the Isaac Theatre Royal on Friday 22 and Saturday 23 November before the breadcrumbs take them elsewhere.