Writer: Tanya Bridgeman
Director: Harriett O’Grady
GRETEL comes to the Black Box, the ground floor studio theatre within the Smock Alley, for four days as part of the Dublin Fringe Festival. Director Harriett O’Grady helps deliver this poignant production that merges fairytale with modern day storytelling and social commentary.
GRETEL loosely follows the Brothers Grimm fairytale, but places the action in a contemporary setting. Rather than a forest somewhere in Germany, the novel is set in the ‘Concrete Jungle’, a large housing estate in an unnamed part of the world, presumably Ireland or London, although this isn’t stated. Rather than stick to the storyline word for word, the fairytale is used as a medium to describe adolescence in an urban environment. The children finding a house built of sweets is used as a metaphor for two young children whose father isn’t feeding them. The witch becomes a metaphor for child services. GRETEL weaves folklore, told by creator Tanya Bridgeman in a childish, whimsical, bedtime story way, into a poignant message about child poverty. There is an impressive segment exploring Gretel’s first period, which is brave in its attempt to capture the human experience unapologetically.
The audience enters as Bridgeman hands out sweets, and DJ Jowy Ahia plays from their booth. Costume designer Nadia Mohamed does an excellent job with Ahia and Bridgeman’s outfits. Similarly, Mado Chadebec’s set is simple but impressive.
The strongest element of the play is Ahia’s fantastic DJing, which meanders garage, jungle, grime, and even some trad and classical music. Ahia sits atop a brutalist tower block, tree branches like a crown reaching out around the decks. DJ Luck & MC Neat is a particularly welcome throwback.
The disjointed, fractured nature of the plot, which often jumps between serious and farcical, makes it at times hard to follow. Think less Hansel and Gretel, following a clear trail of breadcrumbs, and more Alice getting lost down the rabbit hole. Some of the bedtime story segments stray a little too close to pantomime for a play with such serious themes, and the acting thus can feel slightly forced. Bridgeman, a classically trained actor and singer, is most impressive showcasing her spoken word.
Gretel ends with a Q&A, Bridgeman asking the audience to raise their hands in answer to several questions about social housing and the general state of the capitalist system we live in.
Runs Until 19th Sept 2026.
