Hansel, Gretel & The Witch

“I THINK Hansel and Gretel is one of the best Halloween fairy tales and leaves lots of room for music!” beams Rob Murphy, director of the Civic Panto.

Following a sell-out week last year, The Civic Halloween Spooktacular Panto returns this spooky season.

This year the classic fairy tale Hansel and Gretel is given a spooky twist as the Civic and Rob present ‘Hansel, Gretel & The Witch’.

Lost in the eerie forest, they encounter a cunning witch who lures them into her candy-coated lair.

The siblings must use their wits and bravery to outsmart the witch and escape her wicked clutches, with the help of Wiggles and a magical diary.

Don’t miss this enchanting and magical adventure filled with music, laughter, and bewitching performances that will leave you enchanted and captivated.

Dress up in your favourite costume to be in with a chance to win some fantastic prizes.

Rob wrote it over the summer, wanting to give the classic fairytale a “modern twist” while staying true to the source material; his experience of writing Pantos aided him in this.

When it came to casting, some aspiring actors sent selftapes, whereas others audioned in person reading excerpts from the script.

Rob is delighted to have a mix of old and new faces in the cast this year, including the “amazing” Helen Jordan. Sarah Harvey is responsible for the dance choreography, which will be taught when rehearsals start this week, while Elaine Gallagher will serve as musician and vocal coach for the singing aspect of the show. Rob is confident in his team, stating they are “pros” at what they do, and he doubts there will be nerves ahead of the premiere.

‘Hansel, Gretel, and The Witch’ will be performed in the Civic from October 25-31.