Hansel and Gretel, The Nuffield Theatre (From Daily Echo)

Hansel and Gretel, The Nuffield Theatre

1:18pm Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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A LIVELY audience loved every minute of a madcap retelling of this much-loved fairytale last night.

If they weren’t being showered with chicken feed, they were ducking flying objects from a brilliant set which perfectly brought to life the Woodcutter’s Cottage and all its associated gadgets.

There were laughs aplenty as Kneehigh Theatre brought a lighter touch to this dark tale of the exploits of siblings Hansel (Craig Johnson, whose comic timing was spot on) and Gretel (Joanna Holden, wonderfully mischievous).

We watch as the twins and their parents begin to starve as they slowly make their way through the various animals, hilarious puppets and toys – especially the rabbits – in their possession.

The children are finally forced to take to the woods in search of saviour – and there they find it in the shape of the hilarious Hamlet, the bird who quotes Shakespeare.

The action switches to the Gingerbread Cottage where the twins overcome The Witch (brilliantly portrayed by Carl Grose) using a host of contraptions. The scene is fantastic.

I loved the pyrotechnics, the music and most of all the sense of fun.

This small but talented company and their great version of Hansel & Gretel come highly recommended.

Hansel & Gretel runs until Saturday.

Tickets: 023 8067 177