Hansel and gretel and the Holocaust

Although Hansel and Gretel is on the surface a children's fairytale, the imagery evoked by the story is dark and macabre, the play having the structure of a nightmare.  

 Hansel and Gretel at the ROH

Themes central to the tale are;

starvation

lonliness/ isolation

fear

death

Upon readig through the play I immediately envisioned the story converted from its usual medieval context into a play about the Jewish children of the second world war.

Starvation

Image from 'The Children We Remember'

Lonliness / Isolation

Image from 'The Children We Remember'

Fear

Image from 'The Children We Remember'

Death

 Chana - 'The Children We Remember'

Researching further into the atrocities of war I discovered countless moving images which will no doubt strongly influence my designs for the play.

Auschwitz

Gas Canisters 'For Most of it I Have No Words' - Simon Norfolk

 7000Kgs of Women's Hair 'For Most of it I Have No Words' - Simon Norfolk

 

Crematoria 'For Most of it I Have No Words' - Simon Norfolk

Rwanda

Halo 'For Most of it I Have No Words' - Simon Norfolk

A Boy's Legs Pushed Into A Vase 'For Most of it I Have No Words' - Simon Norfolk

 

 Infirmary 'For Most of it I Have No Words' - Simon Norfolk

Vietnam

 Agent Orange Foetuses 'For Most of it I Have No Words' - Simon Norfolk

 Destroyed Watch Tower 'For Most of it I Have No Words' - Simon Norfolk

  

Sons Of A Man Poisoned by Agent Orange 'For Most of it I Have No Words' - Simon Norfolk

Tourist Trinkets 'For Most of it I have no words' - Simon Norfolk