Hänsel und Gretel

“Oliver Hall’s costumes hark back to a past era of rustic simplicity… …And when the Witch (Mitchell Sanders) appears, dressed in a black chasuble and twin sashes with a short cape, ecclesiastical-like, the penny drops. In an audacious turn, Davidson’s Witch cannot be anyone but the very representative of a person of God who preaches Christian morality.”

Paul Selar, Australian Arts Review

For this project, we took two interpretative routes to telling the story. The productions used the same set with slight variations on costuming, yet alternate intentions generated different interactions with the story and music.

In this full-length German interpretation, the use of Wette’s original libretto takes us deeper into the history of famine, abject poverty, and the practices of abandoning and/or murdering children that were carried out in a struggle for survival. Communities were also bound by strong beliefs in forces beyond themselves. In this version of the story, the children find themselves in a community that has turned a blind eye to despicable acts. While light does overcome darkness, adult morality and responsibility are scrutinised.

Union Theatre | VCA and MCM End of Year Opera
Costume Design

Composer: Engelbert Humperdinck

Librettist: Adelheid Wette

Direction: Jane Davidson

Conductor: Richard Davis

Set Design: Timothy Rutty

Lighting Design: Tom Vulcan

Photography: Ben Fon