Playground Opera is Longborough Festival Opera’s project to bring opera into schools. During 2021, our Hansel & Gretel production visited 14 state schools in four counties, performing to over 1,400 children ages 5-14.
“There can be no more joyous and artistic and educational experience… I left afterwards feeling my life had been enhanced”
– Midlands Music Reviews ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“It smashed my preconceptions of opera” – pupil aged 10
Director/Story Teller – Maria Jagusz
Producer/MD – Jess May
Choreography – Lowri Shone
Designer – Harry Pizzey
Accordion – MiloÅ¡ Milivojević/Dordje Gajic
Violin – Fenner Curtis
Hansel – Marienella Phillips
Gretel – Rebecca Silverman
Dew Fairy & Sand Man – Eleanor Broomfield
Witch on Skates – Daniel Jagusz-Holley
Stage Crew – Sarah Plowright, Aaron Bixley, Tori Cansdale, Jude Bixley Plowright
Video Production – Alex Crisp
Music – Englebert Humperdinck (abridged version)
English translation – David Pountney
Dialogue – Maria Jagusz and Jessica May
