Hänsel und Gretel is a well-known German fairy tale best known through the version recorded by the Brothers Grimm (Jacob Ludwig Karl, 1785–1863, and Wilhelm Carl, 1786–1859)[1].

Known as Hansel and Gretel in English, but is also known as "Hansel and Grettel", "Hansel and Grethel", or "Little Brother and Little Sister". In Afrikaans it most often appears as Hansie en Grietjie.

The original tale

Originally documented by the Brothers Grimm, the tale was first published in German in 1812.

Telling of the young brother and sister, Hansel and Gretel, who are lured into captivity by a witch living in a house made of gingerbread, cake, confection, candy, and many other treats and pastries.She plans to cook and eat them, but the children outwit her and manage to escape.

There is a similar traditional fairytale called Cerceruska, known in Hungary.

See further the Wikipedia entry on Hansel and Gretel [2]

Dramatized versions

The tale has often been adapted to various media, most notably the popular Märchenoper (fairy-tale opera) Hänsel und Gretel (1893) by Engelbert Humperdinck (1854–1921)[3], with a libretto by Adelheid Wette.

An Afrikaans full-length pantomime for children, entitled Hansie en Grietjie was written by Anton Welman with music by Alyzzander Fourie.

An Afrikaans operetta called Hansie en Grietjie was written by Desireé Wentzel.

An Afrikaans retelling of the story called Hansie & Grietjie was written by Louis Pretorius. (Unpublished, typed performance text held in the archives of the Drama Department at the University of Stellenbosch).

Performance history in South Africa

Various stage versions of it have been done in South Africa and the story has also been used as thematic material in many forms. For listings of performances of the opera, see below.

1973: The Space (Cape Town) (1973, adapted and directed by Lily Herzberg).

1987: Performed as a Baxter Theatre/Glynn Day Children's Theatre production, directed by Glynn Day and John Dennison in the Baxter Studio. The cast: Patrick Walton, Lee-Ann Horwood, Glynn Day, Pippa Duffy, John Auld, Rachel Griggs, Kristie Nielsen, Andre Thomas, Maike Boer.

Performance history of the opera in South Africa

1951: Presented by Albert Coates.

1990: Presented by CAPAB Opera (12–29 December)

1999: Presented by Cape Town Opera (1–7 November)

2003: Presented by Cape Town Opera, directed by Janice Honeyman, Spier Summer Arts Festival (26 February – 9 March).

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_and_Gretel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hansel_and_Gretel_(opera)

D.C. Boonzaier, 1923. "My playgoing days – 30 years in the history of the Cape Town stage", in SA Review, 9 March and 24 August 1932. (Reprinted in Bosman 1980: pp. 374-439.)

F.C.L. Bosman. 1980. Drama en Toneel in Suid-Afrika, Deel II, 1856-1912. Pretoria: J.L. van Schaik: pp.398

Astbury 1979.

Barrow, Brian & Williams-Short, Yvonne 1988.

Playscript (Typescript photocopy) held by NELM: [Collection: BAXTER ARCHIVES]: 2006. 31. 21. Accession Number:MANU-68165.

Wayne Muller. 2018. A reception history of opera in Cape Town: Tracing the development of a distinctly South African operatic aesthetic (1985–2015). Unpublished PhD thesis.

Go to ESAT Bibliography