SRT Gretel and Hansel : A tale of siblings for siblings
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Do you have siblings at home?
The Wacky Duo has not always been the best of pals. In the beginning,
it took a while for the older sibling to warm up to the little one. With all
attention only on 1 child for the past 4 years, having a sibling changes the
whole dynamics in the family. Like Gretel and Hansel, sibling rivalry was a
daily occurrence in the family.
Gretel and Hansel is a new production by Singapore RepertoryTheatre that takes a different twist. It is a play about the story of Hansel
and Gretel told in the form of a story. So instead of the usual story about two
siblings left in the forest who survived and outsmarted a wicked witch, you get
to know the story from the sibling’s perspective as retold by the siblings themselves.
This beloved Brothers Grimm tale is re-imagined into a play about sibling rivalry.
With SRT at the helm, you can be assured that it will be a refreshing twist to a
well known story.
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| Source: SRT |
Through this retelling of a popular tale, you get to experience
the feelings of each sibling. Sibling Rivalry is apparent in this tale with
Gretel (the elder child) being irritated by her younger brother. Things come
to broil when she harbours thoughts about cooking her brother for the evil
witch!
Thank goodness, senses prevail at the end of the show.
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| Source: SRT |
There are only 2 actors in the play, Tia Andrea Guttenohn
plays a conflicted elder sister that both despise and love her brother at the
same time. Her stage presence and expressions fit the role perfectly. Joshua
Lim who plays Hansel gives a convincing performance of Hansel, the boy who
loves his sister wholeheartedly without a whiff of knowledge about her sister
jealously. The other characters are cleverly played out using shadows and props.
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The Wacky Duo can identify with this play, given a similar scenario
was played out at home. The boys may be constantly bickering during the day,
but at the end of the day, they are like the best of pals, knowing that they
have each other’s back for life. Gretel
and Hansel is the perfect play to bring children with siblings to see and
reflect on their own relationship. Hopefully, at the end of it, everyone can live
happily ever after.
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Another interesting point is that SRT provides access
performances to cater to groups of children that will benefit from the added
performances. The show we attended has Signed performances where an interpreter
will sign all auditory elements of the show using Singapore Sign Language. In
addition, there are an audio-described performance for the blind or visually impaired
(7 Apr 2 pm) and Relaxed Performance for those on Autistic spectrum, living
with Dementia and diverse learning and communication needs (14 Apr 2 pm). We
think it is great that SRT had purposefully catered their performance to all walks
of life.
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Gretel and Hansel will be showing at KC Arts Centre – Home of
SRT from 13 March to 26 Apr. Recommended for age 4 and up.
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