![]() ![]() The set was a two tire affair which, like the recent production of ‘Griselda’, essentially doubled the stage space. The Irish National Opera Ensemble who entered one by one wearing party hats played on stage and were conducted from the piano by Richard Pierson. ![]() Irish National Opera’s production moves a story which was originally set in the forests of Germany to a rather dark and run down hotel with flashing neon lights where a silent night watchman observes the story as it unfolds. ![]() Mother and father appear and everyone dances and celebrates, and they all live happily ever after… I imagine. The oven opens and the children the witch has kidnapped and turned into gingerbread come back to life and are freed. The children eventually trick the witch into looking into her flaming oven and both children push her into it. They go inside and realise it is the house of a witch who intends to fatten them up, cook and eat them. Woken by the Dew Fairy in the morning the children see a gingerbread cottage. The Sandman appears and lulls them to sleep and as they sleep angels descend from the heavens to guard them. Now deep and lost in the woods the children get very frightened as night falls. The story of Hansel & Gretel has entered our popular culture through book, films & illustrations. ![]()
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