Vanessa Fisher talks about her role in Hansel and Gretel

Brothers Grimm’s much-loved fairy tale Hansel & Gretel comes to the Rose Theatre in Kingston. The new festive version is written by Ciaran McConville with music and lyrics by Eamonn O’Dwyer, directed by Rosie Jones. 

Featuring young actors from the Rose Youth Theatre alongside professional actors it runs from Thu 6 Dec to Sun 6 Jan. 

Set in the town of Freiburg, post the Great Famine, a young Hansel and Gretel are offered a trip to the city, with promises of a brighter future. Little do they know of what awaits them in the forest… the sweet old lady at the gingerbread house might control their fate.

Battling magical beasts, enlisting a crew of fairy tale bandits and learning the secrets of their past, Hansel and Gretel must race to save their town from the Witch’s Curse. And all in time for Christmas!

The Artiscape spoke to Vanessa Fisher, who plays Red/Townsperson about her role in the production. Her theatre credits include Motown the Musical(Shaftesbury Theatre), An Officer and a Gentleman, Little Shop of Horrors and Hairspray (UK tour).

What draw Fisher to this particular play?

What most excited Fisher was having the opportunity to get involved in the play. Having had a wonderful career so far she was excited by “the rewrite of the known story”. She explains “an updated version of the Little Red Riding Hood that most audiences know” gave her the opportunity to create “a brand-new character”.

“I was also drawn to working with the youth theatre” she continues. “I teach performing arts to under 18’s and I find inspiration from connecting to the younger generation by watching them create and express themselves unapologetically. It gives permission to everyone in the room to do the same.”

We asked Fisher what she enjoy about acting in the play?

“As we are well into previews of our show now, what I enjoy is hearing the audience interact with the piece,” says Fisher. “You can never truly get an accurate idea in the rehearsal room of what works, what jokes are landing and how good a show is. Once you get it in front of an audience, you are able to cut the bits that don’t work and really enjoy the moments that do”.

Hansel and Gretel is a well-known children’s book. We asked Fisher how she prepped for her role in the play.

“Firstly, reading the script and noting all the obvious things that create a character such as; who they are, who their friends are and where they live etc, she says. “I then begin the process of reading between the lines, noting the things that aren’t said, analysing their relationships with other characters and looking deeply into their intentions. The former is what gives you a foundation and the latter is what takes your character from two to three dimensional.”

What will an audience get from this particular production of Hansel and Gretel.

“Our story is essentially about rediscovering the child-like wonder and hope that we tend to lose as we reach adulthood” explains Fisher. “It’s funny, it’s magical, it’s Christmassy and it has a lot of heart. Audiences can expect to be transported into the world of a child’s imagination and will certainly leave humming along to our addictive score”.

Aside from your own character, who is your favourite character in the play?

“My favourite characters are probably Gretel and Circe The Witch,” she says. “Both for similar reasons, they are both definitely feminists strong-willed and never take no for an answer. Circe the Witch is definitely more evil, but my colleague Georgina White makes playing her look really fun and does a great job at humanising the villain.”

Hansel and Gretel runs at the Rose Theatre in Kingston until 6th of January. For more information and tickets visit website.