Hansel and Gretel at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Mel Randle
Last night myself and my daughter (8) went to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on the South Bank in London to see Simon Armitage’s version of Hansel and Gretel. If you haven’t been before, seeing anything at The Globe is a wonderful experience. The theatre is a reconstruction of the Elizabethan playhouse – a quirky wooden thatched building in the round. Generally an outdoor venue with some covered seating but dressing for the weather is essential! We sat on the top tier (there are three tiers) but every position, whether you are seated or stood in the round would offer a different experience of the show.
This particular retelling of Hansel of Gretel was modernised and set in a war-torn country. There were warnings of war, conflict and grief references in the show when we entered the theatre, and I appreciate why the theatre have to do this but I don’t think it was anything to worry about. I’m not going to lie, I’m not 100% sure what was happening half the time, but the general story of Hansel and Gretel was still there – the breadcrumb trail, the house of sweets and the wicked witch (wicked old lady in this case) so the ‘war-torn’ setting didn’t overly distract me from the performance.
The story was told through the media of poetry, songs and often wacky costumes. A narrator guided us through each scene so it was easy to follow where we were in the story. A small ensemble of musicians were on the stage throughout, present but understated in the background so we could listen to their wonderful playing but they didn’t distract from what was going on. They used their instruments as sound effects as well as music and they must were certainly engaging because my daughter was tapping away with them at a couple of points!
The cast of ten took on a variety of roles from refugees to woodland animals to a selection of sweets from the Woolworth’s pick n’ mix. Who was a fan of the foam pink shrimp?? Definitely the star of the show!!! Costume changes were seamless and really fun and vibrant to watch.
A big shout out has to go to Beverly Rudd who played the witch. Her performance of the sweet song, along with her backing crew (not entirely sure what they were supposed to be) was one of the wackiest, most bizarre but funniest performances I have seen in a long time. The whole show was worth it just for that!
The show was approximately an hour long, just the right length of time to tell the story and keep the children engaged. There was lots of laughs from the audience, parts of the show came out into the round which made it feel very inclusive, and uses of confetti cannons and large inflatables (a latex allergy warning is given) made it feel all the more lovely for kids and adults alike. And what would a Christmas show be without snow!!! Quite ironic given that it was raining throughout!!
All in all a wonderful family show. We all left with a smile on our faces and a craving for pink shrimps!
Rating: 5/5
Hansel & Gretel is performing at The Globe Theatre until 5th January 2025. Prices: £5-£55
For more information and to book tickets visit www.shakespearesglobe.com.