Music How the theater machinery enchants Humperdinck's fairytale opera
Floating children and full glimpses behind the scenes: Thom Luz presents Engelbert Humperdinck's fairytale opera "Hansel and Gretel" at Zurich Opera House not as illusionary theater, but instead lets the theatrical machinery work its magic.
17.11.2025, 07:52
SDA
Just over a week after Bern, the popular fairytale opera also premiered at Zurich Opera House on Sunday. The two theaters chose different concepts: In Bern, director and stage designer Raimund Orfeo Vogt staged a new interpretation of the content, while in Zurich, the content was not interpreted. In Bern, the opera became a dream play about children who are locked away in a wardrobe; in Zurich, the focus was on formal aspects.
In his first opera production, Luz has no intention of stringently retelling the famous fairy tale of "Hansel and Gretel" as a toned-down horror story, as the libretto of Humperdinck's opera states. There is no "real" forest with menacing trees, no poor house from which the siblings are sent away, no gingerbread house to nibble on.
But of course all of this takes place on the stage of Zurich Opera House and there are many more magical things that the theater can do. Children float down from the stage sky, shadows of trees and bushes flicker past and a giant, nasty witches' castle is built in which even walls come to life.
Showing how theater can do magic
With Luz, however, this is quite different from what we are used to from conventional illusion theater. His production shows how the theater can perform magic, how sets can be moved and rotated, how children can be attached to pulleys, how a forest can be created from shadow projections.
Exposing the theatrical machinery in such a way naturally harbors the danger that the magic is robbed of its illusionary power. An adult audience may enjoy such analog gimmicks. But young viewers who have become accustomed to computer-generated special effects?
The numerous children in the premiere audience didn't seem to mind much. They applauded vigorously, which was certainly also due to the ensemble's infectious enthusiasm. Svetlina Stoyanova and Chrisitina Gansch as Hansel and Gretel and Rosie Aldridge in the double role of Mother and Witch were also convincing vocally.
Avoiding the trap of complacency
Bern or Zurich? At both theatres, efforts are made to avoid falling into the trap of a harmless, superficial fairytale play. However, there are no groundbreaking new interpretations to be experienced on either stage. The catchy music is accompanied by good entertainment. Nothing more, but nothing less either.
The Zurich Opera House broadcast the premiere live in around ten cinemas. However, it was not yet possible to find out how successful this campaign was on the evening of the premiere
