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Hansel and Gretel
The theatres may be shut but Scottish Opera has produced a classic for all the family to enjoy online.
Humperdinck’s enchanting Hansel and Gretel has been staged by Daisy Evans with singing in English.
The heart-warming story of two children and their journey from an impoverished home, into the mystery and danger of the woods is an opera traditionally associated with Christmas. But Daisy's new production celebrates the joy and hope that are just as powerful and relevant whatever the season.
It was filmed at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal and will be available online from Wednesday (February 10) via the Scottish Opera website with a running time of 1 hour 40 minutes.
Daisy said: “This show is fun for all the family, bright colours, big energy and plenty of glitter! With the current pandemic, everybody has had a difficult Christmas, so I wanted it to be about finding joy where we can, and about families celebrating together. And I also want it to encourage people to come back to the theatre, and to bring their children with them – to make them want to be part of this experience, and to invest in it as part of our culture.”
Scottish Opera’s Head of Music, Derek Clark added: “Despite a prolific composing career, Humperdinck's reputation rests solely on this one opera. The combination of a straightforward fairy tale with a musical language which owes a heavy debt to Wagner may seem an unlikely one, but in Hansel and Gretel, the mixture of simple tunes, like the famous Dance duet, thrilling orchestral passages such as the Witch's Ride and the Dream pantomime, and the tender emotion of the children's Evening Prayer produces a masterpiece which has kept its popularity for well over a century.”
Available to watch via Scottish Opera’s website www.scottishopera.org.uk. Scottish Opera has also produced an Audio Described version of the film, also available to watch via the Company’s website. This is the latest in Scottish Opera’s Audio Described opera films, all of which have proved extremely popular with viewers.
You can also find out more about Daisy Evans staging of Humperdinck’s fairy tale opera in an exclusive interview here.