Calgary Opera’s ‘Hansel and Gretel’ leans into strangeness of childhood

Hansel and Gretel may be one of the world’s most recognizable fairy tales, but the version coming to Calgary Opera promises something far less predictable.

Stage director Brenna Corner says audiences often arrive with fixed expectations—breadcrumbs, lost children, and a sinister witch—but Humperdinck’s opera tells a more nuanced story than many remember.

“It’s a piece we all think we know,” Corner says. “We imagine breadcrumbs and children and some kind of cannibalistic witch. But that’s not entirely what’s actually written.”

Rather than leaning on familiar tropes, this production emphasizes the mystery of the forest and the surreal logic of childhood. Corner partnered with Old Trout Puppet Workshop to create what she describes as a “living storybook,” filled with oversized objects, magical creatures, and imaginative puppetry that reshapes the scale of the world onstage.

“I really wanted to find a way to evoke imagination,” she says. “That’s where the puppets came from.”

The design intentionally reflects a child’s point of view—despite Hansel and Gretel being sung by adult performers. Furniture feels too large, props are oversized, and the world itself seems slightly off-kilter.

“The world isn’t scaled for you,” Corner explains. “Chairs don’t quite fit, baskets are too big. Everything feels just a little overwhelming.”

Even the parents are visually exaggerated, wearing seven-inch platform boots so they literally tower over the children.

Corner says the emotional core of the opera makes it accessible to a wide audience.

“Anywhere from eight to 88—it really works for everyone,” she says. “At its heart, the story is about love, and how when you’re in the darkest moments of your life, it’s love that carries you through.”

This production also invites the audience to actively engage their imagination.

“It wants you to participate,” Corner says. “You’ll hear someone gasp when a puppet comes onstage—that’s their imagination coming to life.”

With performances by celebrated Canadian opera singers, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Cantaré Children’s Choir, Corner says the result is something truly immersive.

“It comes to life in a way that feels absolutely magical.”

Courtesy: citynews