Metro-Boulot-Dodo and Open Theatre company in collaboration with Birmingham Hippodrome presents The Twisted Tale of Hansel and Gretel, a magical reimagining of a classic children’s fairy tale. This fantastical performance is fun for all the family, incorporating live music, dance and story telling.

The entire cast worked together to devise this magical performance, bringing out the laughter and joy that fairy tales bring to children. From the down heartened story teller to the real hero of the story, the duck, each character is full of enough energy to keep children entertained for hours.

Hansel and Gretel are played by Richard Beckett and Kimisha Lewis, who are wonderful at adding a new side to these already well known characters. Gretel, an ambitious young women who does not need to cry at everything, and Hansel a clever young man who always thinks of a plan to get the pair out of danger.

This wonderful retelling of the Hansel and Gretel ignites audience member’s imaginations, with just the use of some boxes and some sound effects added by the ever enthusiastic mocking bird. However set changes can be a little slow moving around, but the music in-between does help to fill those gaps with some entertainment.

Hansel and Gretel is the first of a series of Twisted Tales that are being created by Metro-Boulot-dodo, Open Theatre Company and Birmingham Hippodrome. The aim is for learning disabled actors to be at the heart of the creative process to create family friendly shows. I am looking forward to seeing which tale they put a twist on next.     ★★★★☆    Georgina Randall   5^th April 2018