Rivalry. Envy. Bickering.
These are the inevitable that comes with having more than one kid. Yup, while having siblings can be one of the best things in the world, it is also one of those that turn it upside down every once in a while.
Gretel and Hansel, a show by SRT's The Little Company based on the well-loved Brothers Grimm classic fairy tale, talks about how Gretel is told to act like a 'grown up', to realise she is 'big girl', to understand that she now has a little brother in the family - one whom she finds extremely annoying and wish she could get rid of.
She loses all the attention, she gets less cuddles and kisses, she even had to give up all of her bread because her brother was too hungry. Sounds familiar? I thought the plot struck a raw nerve deep down in me and it reminded me of my two girls who were forced to grow up when they were no longer the littlest in the family.
When their parents left them in the woods and they got caught by the mean old witch, Gretel had a choice - to abandon Hansel or find a way to stick together.
The show talks about courage, family love and what it means to have a sibling. Although the cast only comprises of two people, Tia and Joshua, they made the characters come alive and brought us along on their exciting, imaginative adventure. I especially loved how Tia portrayed the mean witch role, she was superb in it! I think a few of the young kids in the audience were scared when the lights dimmed and we could feel the heavy hearts of the kids when they were left behind in the dark, cold forest.
When the show ended, the two girls sweetly said "Don't worry, Didi, we will never leave you behind." I asked them if they felt lucky to have him, and to my relief, they gave him a tight hug and said "Yes".
While fights and squabbles might never go away, at least we have the one big constant - L.O.V.E. Thanks for the great reminder for us to cherish each other, Gretel and Hansel.
The show runs from now to 26 Apr at KC Arts Centre - Home of SRT. Weekday shows are at 10am and weekend shows 11am and 2pm. Get your tickets from SISTIC now.
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