Beware if you head for the Heritage Playhouse on May 4, 5 or 6. All sorts of desperate characters are to be seen in the theatre: an evil witch who eats little boys and a fairy godmother, Streptococcus, named after bacteria.
As for me, an unsuspecting audience member, I was told to scoot over by a tough kid called Gretel who wanted to sit in my seat. Don’t mess with her. Her brother, cheeky Hansel, is no better. Goldilocks may be wearing her Girl Guide uniform, but that doesn’t mean she’s not up to mischief. And there’s also a wicked stepmother who wants to abandon children in the forest.
Fortunately there are two arguably clever policemen, Inspector Wombat and Sergeant Ringworm, to keep the peace.
The large cast of characters – 27 in all – is part of Driftwood Theatre School’s latest production, The (Almost) Totally True Story of Hansel and Gretel, a musical comedy. It involves some of the youngest actors yet, from the ages of seven up to 15.
There are some stellar performances from the young actors – too many to mention names – from the baby bears to the crows who eat up the trail of breadcrumbs that Hansel and Gretel leave in the forest. And if you’ve never seen a walking, talking magic mirror then this is one of the best.
Along with the huge cast, there is an equally huge crew to put this production together. Ingrid Bilton is the director who teaches the kids and charges up their energy. “Own it,” she shouts, during rehearsals. “Own the stage.” They do.
JoAnne Bennison does double duty as producer and costume manager and a bit of everything else. Other adult Driftwood Players chip in to help.
There are four performances at 7:30 p.m. on May 4 and 5 and at 2 p.m. on May 5 and 6. Tickets for $10 youth and $15 adult are online at share-there.com or at Laedeli, Giggle ‘n Bloom, The Blackberry Shoppe and Sechelt Visitor Centre.
