HÄNSEL UND GRETEL - OPERA

 

In December of 2018, the Bochumer Symphoniker held their first scenic performance in the Anneliese Brost Musik Forum in Bochum: The Hänsel und Gretel opera, composed by Engelbert Humperdinck.

Under the direction of Yannick Verweij and Lotte de Beer came forth an opera that told this classic story through a combination of puppetry, illustrations, live video and drawings made by local children. Poverty in the Ruhr Area and the wondrous imagination of children were among its core themes.

 

For the live video, I made cut-out illustrations and miniature sets that, through cameras, were projected on a big screen behind the orchestra. Together with Vita Coenen we used both my work and the drawings of children to visualize their imagination. 

 

 

CONDUCTOR

Steven Sloane

 

ORCHESTRA

Bochumer Symphoniker

 

DIRECTOR

Yannick Verweij
 

SCENOGRAPHY

Dorike van Genderen

 

CONCEPT AND END DIRECTOR

Lotte de Beer

 

ILLUSTRATIONS AND LIVE VIDEO

Ralph Zabel

 

PUPPET CREATOR AND COSTUME DESIGN

Pluck Venema

 

PUPPETEERS:

Pluck Venema and Noufri Bachdim of Studio Figur
 

ASSISTENT PUPPETEER AND LIVE VIDEO

Vita Coenen

 

CAST

Thomas Oliemans - Peter Besenbinder

Katrin Kapplusch - Gertrud

Stephanie Lauricella - Hänsel

Alexandra Flood - Gretel

Peter Marsh - Die Knusperhexe

Sophia Burgos - Sandmännchen/Taumännchen

Opern-Kinderchor der Chorakademie Dortmund,

Kuchenkinder - Vivien Zarah Bryl, Paul Malan und Marie Albrecht,

Kinderfiguranten -  second grade pupils of Dietrich-Bonhoeffer-Schule

 

PHOTOGRAPHY

Sabine Hahnefeld, Yannick Verweij, Vita Coenen and Ralph Zabel