I was lucky enough last weekend to see the opera ‘Hansel and Gretel’ at Glyndebourne. Written by the strangely named Englebert Humperdinck (not the singer from the 1980’s!), this late 19th Century work retells the old fairy story about two children from a very poor family who get lost in the woods. They are nearly eaten by a wicked witch, having been tempted into her clutches by a delicious gingerbread house. As they escape Hansel and Gretel release from captivity a large number of other children whom the witch had stored in her larder for future consumption.
The production was an absolute joy for anyone concerned with the problem of litter, or indeed anyone worried about the eating habits of the nation. The children’s home was a cardboard box (pictured above, courtesy of the Glyndebourne website), and the ‘enchanted forest’ was littered with plastic bags and fast food containers! The gingerbread house had been transformed into the interior of Tescos, where the hungry children were tempted by shelves piled high with biscuits and sweets. The liberated children, not altogether surprisingly, were hugely overweight...just one aspect of the production that was criticised by those who felt that fun was being poked at the ‘working classes.’
I think that this rather humourless and politically correct criticism was totally misguided. Sometimes it is good to see an opera presented as originally intended by its composer, but when it is well done, a more socially relevant presentation can convey a strong message. The contemporary evils that were under attack are very real ones, as those of us who despair at the state of the verges around Sudbury well know, and I was delighted to see that the producer cared enough to make a point about our throw away, fast food, society.
The following night the company were presenting Carmen, sponsored by British American Tobacco. I very much doubt if any supermarkets would be up for sponsoring this version of Hansel and Gretel!
