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Review: Hansel and Gretel (Shakespeare's Globe)

Review by Sophie Wilby


⭐️⭐️


Though it is a tale familiar to most, poet Simon Armitage again brings his take on the fairy tale classic to Shakespeare’s Globe this festive season. Despite some apparent reworking from last year’s production, the moments of sweetness were too infrequent and ultimately the show lost its way in the woods. Without a breadcrumb trail to guide it, it fell flat with a jarring and inconsistent tone which may disappoint families looking for a fun and festive show for children this winter. 



Hansel (Ned Costello) and Gretel’s (Yasemin Özdemir) abandonment in the woods is brought on by war, rather than famine, as their parents (Harry Hepple and Beverly Rudd) decide that the pair would be better off alone in the woods than in their troubled village. This modern politicisation provides the backdrop to the adaptation, though it is the grounding of the story in this way that ultimately leads to its detriment, as the tone of this production is confusing and mismatched. 


These dark origins are contrasted by a middle section full of sweetness and silliness - a foam shrimp dancing around the stage, and puppetry of swooping, colourful birds to give just a few examples. It was in these moments that the pantomime element of the performance came through and it felt like the festive show for young audiences that I had expected. Sadly however, we’re then again faced with a juxtaposition in tone as the villain is not the cannibalistic witch (also played by Beverly Rudd) that we might expect from the story we know - but a human trafficker, preparing the children to be sold. This felt like an unnecessary change - the absurdity and quirkiness of the Grandma-esque character throwing her walking stick aside to dance along to a rap about the joys of sugar contrasted with such a stark, real-world issue as opposed to the more traditional, fantastical horror of a child-eating witch quite simply didn’t sit right. If changes could be made to the witch's motivations, then it begs the question of why outdated and problematic depictions of weight remained part of the story, perhaps especially so when targeting a younger audience. 



Even when we cheer as she gets her comeuppance, the good-will is short-lived as the introduction of an inflatable swan (accompanied by Harry Hepple as ‘Swanny’) offers a thinly veiled allusion to the refugee crisis which when considering it is done so within a silly song and dance, felt completely misguided. The tonal whiplash continues until the ending of the show, which though intended to be heartwarming as the family reunites, in fact, felt hollow. I left Shakespeare’s Globe not really knowing what to think or how to feel, and whilst sometimes this can be a good reaction, in this instance, it was more a case of confusion and disappointment. 


That’s not to say that Armitage’s writing wasn’t captivating at times. The rhythm of his words and the images he conjured were just what you’d expect from the current Poet Laureate. The sheer amount of references to sweets alone was enough to bring a smile to your face -  from Percy Pigs to Dib-dabs, there was a sweet for every generation to remember fondly. Relatively frequent laughter from both children and adults rang out from the audience in spite of the dreary wet weather many found themselves standing in and children around me genuinely gasped as the witch seemingly disappeared from the stage. Hansel and Gretel wasn’t without these surprise-and-delight, enjoyable elements that you would expect from a show aimed at families in the festive period, it’s just that they were inconsistent. 



There are a handful of original songs with the concluding “Snow Song” a particular favourite of mine, and when encouraged to do so, many found themselves singing along with just how yummy sugar can be. The accompanying score (musical director Magnus Mehta) supported the storytelling well throughout to help build the picture and perhaps compensate for a slightly disappointing set design (most noticeable in the underwhelming reveal of the witch’s house). 


Jenni Maitland as the Narrator (dressed as one of the volunteer stewards) grapples with Armitages’ writing well, managing to both command the stage and sneak into the background when required. Though the adults-playing-children dynamic can be jarring, both Costello and Özdemir remained upbeat in the face of the downpour, bringing a high energy throughout. Similarly energetic is Rudd in her dual roles, standing out as the villainous witch and embracing the fun of playing an almost-pantomime baddie. Hepple too, does well in his dual roles, and even if Swanny’s song left me feeling a little too uncomfortable, there was no doubt that he performed it with the menacing undercurrent it warranted. 



Considering the number of options for families over winter, this production of Hansel and Gretel would not be high on my list of recommendations. Whilst younger audiences can grapple with difficult themes, Armitage’s adaptation struggles to satisfactorily meld the horror of warfare and the fairytale classic together. Coupled with the inclusion of more problematic elements of the story, Hansel and Gretel left me with a sour, rather than a sweet taste. 


Hansel and Gretel plays at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre until January 5th 2025



Photos by Ellie Kurttz


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