There’s more than a hint of pantomime in
this production of Hansel & Gretel from the Seven Dwarves
company. I say Hansel & Gretel as this is where the action begins
and ends, however along the way we encounter characters from a
myriad of fairy tales and popular children’s stories.
Alice in Wonderland, Little Red Riding Hood, Prince Charming,
the Wicked Witch, Rapunzel . . . the list goes on as this production
plays fast and loose with the rules of storytelling.
And that’s where the problems begin.
With so many characters popping in and out it was quite hard
for me, as an adult, to keep up with what was going on so I have no
idea how a 5 year old might have coped. Sections of the show that rely on the tale being narrated by
the principal storyteller simply don’t hold the attention and come
across as sub-Jackanory. Luckily
this is broken up by various excursions into the audience by the
cast members, which serves to keep the kids entertained.
Of course, alongside the stories comes the music.
Unfortunately, I found the simple compositions quite
repetitive and tedious over the course of an hour.
Obviously I’m not the target audience for
this production and the young children in the audience seemed to be
paying due attention throughout.
Nevertheless, I think that there are probably a few more
genuinely entertaining and varied shows for kids around the Fringe.
**
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