Hansel & Gretel- now a spectacular opera
An Opera Review by Victor Grynberg
Margaret Plummer as Hansel, Stacey Alleaume as Gretel and Shikara Ringdahl as Sandman in Opera Australia’s production of Hänsel & Gretel 2026 Photo: Carlita Sari
There would be few people unaware of the famous fairy tale Hansel & Gretel, written by the German brothers Grimm in 1812.
Unusually for a fairy tale, it was used for an opera with music by the acclaimed German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) and an original German libretto by his sister, Adelheid Wette.
First performed in 1893, it was an instant hit in Germany. In 1914, Humperdinck applied for the position of Director of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. With the outbreak of WW1, it was unthinkable to offer the position to a German, so the Belgian Henri Verbrugghen got the role instead. After a great career in Sydney, the new hall at the Conservatorium was named after Verbrugghen.
Many people will know the name Engelbert Humperdinck from UK pop star Gerry Dorsey, born in 1936 and originally known as Arnold George Dorsey. Following a serious bout of illness, which caused him to stop performing, he wanted to relaunch his career. On a friend’s advice, he renamed himself Engelbert Humperdinck.
The first Director of the OA production of this opera was acclaimed Jewish Opera and Theatre director Elijah Moshinsky (1946-2021). Born in Shanghai, he had an illustrious career both for OA and London companies.
With perhaps 1,000 times I’ve been to operas, this was my first experience of this particular opera. The music itself was beautiful, though it lacked the super type melodies of composers I love like Puccini and Verdi.
This production itself was of such a high standard that it was certainly enjoyable. The packed theatre held a good sprinkling of younger children for whom this was the perfect introduction to opera.
The lead roles were played by Margaret Plummer as young brother Hansel and Stacey Alleaume as young sister Gretel. They are very experienced performers, both for OA and other companies in Australia and overseas. They were excellent, and the applause they received both during the opera and at the end showed how much they were appreciated.
Their stepmother, sung by Helen Sherman, and father, sung by Shane Lawrence, were equally excellent, as was the important role of the witch performed by Jane Ede.
It’s typical of OA productions that every aspect of a performing company is of the highest quality, so full marks to Claudia Osborne, the revival’s director.
Absolutely outstanding was the set for Acts 2 and 3. It used timber flooring and beautiful wooden carvings of a size far, far greater than I have ever seen in an opera production in Sydney, London, Paris, Berlin, Vienna, Milan, Rome, or New York. How on earth this could have been made, even transported to the Sydney Opera House, or assembled onstage during a 5-minute musical interlude between Acts 1 and 2 is totally beyond me. An absolute must to see. Full marks to Set and Costume Designer Mark Thompson and his team.
Always outstanding is the quality of the Opera Australia Orchestra, conducted most energetically by the much-acclaimed conductor Tahu Matheson.
This current production has three performances to finish the season by the end of this week.
I strongly recommend this, and I urge readers of JWire to bring their children or grandchildren (if suitable) to enjoy an amazing transformation of a beloved fairy tale into a spectacular opera.
HANSEL & GRETEL
Joan Sutherland Theatre
Sydney Opera House
February 19, 2026
4.5 Stars
