Mid Wales Opera present: Hansel and Gretel

The company that brought Carmen, Tosca and Il Tabarro, Mid Wales Opera (MWO) return to The Courtyard this March with their take on the classic Grimm tale, Hansel and Gretel.

MWO’s Fairy Tales season culminates in a new production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s late nineteenth century classic Hansel and Gretel. Based on the Brothers Grimm’s fairytale, two children are banished to the enchanted woods by their hungry, frustrated parents. There, they wander into the clutches of a wicked witch determined to fatten them up and turn them into gingerbread, only to be outwitted at the last moment.

Humperdinck’s most important work has been a mainstay of opera houses worldwide since its premiere in 1893. It occupies a unique sound world, full of rich lyricism and a melodic appeal that ties the music directly to folksong, within which the children’s adventures are brought vividly to life.

This new production is sung in English with a cast of young professional singers, together with a chorus of children assembled locally. Humperdinck’s miraculous score, performed by MWO’s partner orchestra Ensemble Cymru, is given a specially-created new orchestration by MWO’s Music Director Jonathan Lyness.

Age recommendation 8+ due to a wicked witch and scenes of peril.

Mid Wales Opera: Hansel and Gretel will be in The Courtyard’s Main House on Saturday 18 March at 7pm. To book tickets, or for more information contact the Box Office on 01432 340555 or visit www.courtyard.org.uk.