Opera is often perceived as being limited to adults but Drama Troupe's staging of Hansel and Gretel will prove that this form of "high culture performance" can also be appealing to children.
"Children in Malta are used to going to the Christmas pantomime... Often, opera is seen as something 'up there' and out of their reach. But, as I have seen during rehearsals, children enjoy it and it is important that they are thought about the value of opera," director Lorraine Aquilina said.
Engelbert Humperdinck's fairytale opera Hansel and Gretel is based on the Brothers Grimm's story that many of us have read or heard during our childhood. It was, in fact, written with children in mind.
The idea for the opera was proposed to Humperdinck by his sister Adelheid Wette, who approached him about writing music for songs that she had written for her children for Christmas based on the fairytale.
After several revisions, the musical sketches and the songs were turned into a full-scale opera in the 1890s.
As the story goes, Hansel and Gretel are the children of a poor woodcutter and, fearing starvation, his wife convinces him to lead the children into the forest and abandon them. The children hear her plan and gather white pebbles to leave themselves a trail home, which they do. But the second time round they use breadcrumbs instead of pebbles and animals eat the crumbs.
Lost in the forest, they find a house made of biscuits and sweets and are invited in by an old woman who lives there. But she turns out to be a witch who built the house to entice children to her, so that she may fatten and eat them. She locks Hansel in a cage, and makes Gretel her servant.
In the cage, Hansel finds a thin bone from the previous occupant and whenever the witch tells him to stick out his finger he deceives her by sticking out the bone - leading her to believe he is not fattening up. As the witch eventually decides to eat him anyway, Gretel pushes her into the oven while she is checking it out. The children then flee the house taking jewels from the witch's house and, after reuniting with their father, they all live happily ever after.
But although the audience will be familiar with the story, they will also be in for a surprise as, Ms Aquilina reveals, the choreography was livened up with the introduction of new characters that add humorous twists to the experience.
This time, the witch is played by a man who takes on a role similar to the pantomime dame who is constantly disrupted by two comical cats who are always up to something. Hansel, like Gretel, is played by a female and the fairytale's sweet element is brought to life as young dancers play the part of cookies.
Hansel and Gretel will be staged by Drama Troupe in collaboration with singers and musicians from Napier University in Scotland under the direction of Ms Aquilina.
Napier University composer and resident Kenneth Dempster will be conducting the musicians composed of pianist Veronique Zammit, Johnathan Law on the viola, Justyna Jablonska on the cello, Jennifer McKay on French horn and Jennifer Cochrane on the clarinet. Gillian Zammit and Joan Busby were responsible for directing the singers. Claire Ghigo plays Hansel, Francesca Aquilina is in the role of Gretel, Cliff Zammit will be the witch and Kevin Caruana and Vanessa Camenzuli play the parents.
Hansel and Gretel will be performed at St James Cavalier, in Valletta between today and Sunday. Tickets are available by calling 2132 2200 or by dropping an e-mail.