SCOTTISH Opera is bringing Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel to screen in their latest series filmed at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal in December.
The classic fairy tale was filmed on December 19 for the latest series of Scottish Opera: On Screen. The modern adaption will feature on the Scottish Opera website from Wednesday, February 10.
Prior to the launch, Radio Scotland will feature audio excerpts from the performance as part of the Classics Unwrapped radio show presented by Jamie MacDougall on Debruary 7.
The opera will be sung in English featuring staging by Daisy Evans telling the story of two children and their journey into the woods from their impoverished home into the mysterious and dangerous woods.
It set with some Christmas staging and a Christmas- crazed with lots of sugary sweets to persuade the children.
David Parry conducts a cast including Kathleen Ferrier, Kitty Whately as Hansel, Rhian Lois as Gretel, ENO Harewood Artist Nadine Benjamin as Mother and The Witch with Phillip Rhodes as Father.
Daisy Evans 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 said: “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 visit: 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.
