Hansel and Gretel (web)

The most modern version of this story sees the wicked stepmother convince "Husband" to lead the children Hansel and Gretel into the dark forest to reduce the hungry mouths to feed. The first time the bright sparks make it back, but the second time due to their faulty plan of following bread crumbs home, they are stranded amongst the trees and creepy creatures, and so the adventure begins.

The Arches provides the perfect setting for this adventure set in the deep, dank woods of Europe with even the obligatory stench of beer to authenticate the environment. This acclaimed theatre company's version of this old world tale holds true to the usual plot but has an interesting and distinctive Glaswegian twang. Besides the merry jigging narrator and the accordion player, the characters and banter are so Scottish that you might be tempted to rename Hansel as Hamish and Gretel as Greer for the occasion.

Besides a slight dip in the middle where some repetition set little bums squirming, the story and execution was a marvel. The sweetest moments were the beautiful puppetry that illuminated the stage. The text was sharp and humorous and without a doubt the highlight was the narrator/witch who drew attention to their own inventiveness. All had a happy, festive fifty-five minutes. [Simone Gray]