Hansel and Gretel is a fairy tale written by the Brothers Grimm.

The original tale

also known as "Hansel and Grettel", "Hansel and Grethel", or "Little Brother and Little Sister"; German: Hänsel und Gret(h)el[a] [ˈhɛnzl̩ ʔʊnt ˈɡʁeːtl̩]) is a well-known German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812. Hansel and Gretel are a young brother and sister kidnapped by a cannibalistic witch living in a house made of gingerbread, cake, confection, candy, and many other treats and pastries.The two children escape with their lives by outwitting her. The tale has been adapted to various media, most notably the opera Hänsel und Gretel (1893) by Engelbert Humperdinck. "Hansel and Gretel" is classified under Class 327А of the Aarne–Thompson classification system. A similar fairytale from Hungary is called Cerceruska.

Dramatized versions

Performance history in South Africa

Various stage versions of it have been done in South Africa.

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

1987: In 1987 a Baxter Theatre/Glynn Day Children's Theatre production was 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.

2003: Opera directed by Janice Honeyman, Spier Summer Arts Festival (Feb/March 2003).

Sources

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.

Go to ESAT Bibliography