Clara Harte Dares to go into the Woods in Theatre Lovett’s DTF show

Wednesday, September 30th, 2015 at 5:06 pm | News & Events

Clara Harte graduated from The Gaiety School of Acting in 2014 and will be performing in The True Story of Hansel & Gretel as part of The Dublin Theatre Festival from the 4th to the 11th of October in Smock Alley Theatre.  Clara kindly took some time out of her busy rehearsal schedule to answer some questions about this dark twist on the traditional fairy tale.

Firstly, can you tell us a little about The True Story of Hansel & Gretel? Is it as eerie as it sounds? 

The True Story of Hansel & Gretel has the basis of the original fairytale we all know and traces it back to it’s roots, or what they are likely to be. The idea being that there was once a pair of children that existed in time that ventured into the woods but the how, why and what happened next of the story may come as a surprise to anyone who knows how the story goes. You’ll see many of the classic characters from the story crop up but not necessarily how you would expect them to be presented. It challenges what we perceive as good and bad. And yes, it is as eerie as eerie can be.

Theatre Lovett are famed for their prowess in the world of children’s theatre, with past productions holding all ages (adults included!) in awe? Who do you think this production will appeal to?

Well, unlike to previous productions this show has a slightly upper age pitch of twelve because it is quite a dark piece. However, I do think this is an allegory and theatrical treat for both young, old and everything in between. The music is an entity of it’s own in the show and helps in creating a pretty haunting experience. Then there’s the intimacy of the space which means that you are really part of the action as an audience member, and there’s a lot of action.

Have you enjoyed the creative process so far? It’s quite a large cast – that must be interesting?

It’s been a wonderful yes! It’s a large and very powerful cast with quite a large berth in age – the youngest cast member is just 7 years old. The play has gone through a massive evolution from when we began rehearsals and it’s been fascinating and exciting to be involved in that process. There’s something to be learned from everyone – especially little Amelie, who is such a pro!

Did you have a favourite fairytale as a child?

Rumplestiltskin comes to mind for some reason, he gave me the creeps. I always loved the old Irish fables like Tir na N’Og and Cu Chullain too. The fairies definitely had something to do with them.

What are you looking forward to most about performing in the festival?

Getting the chance to share the stage with this magical ensemble and perform in the space, which has been totally transformed for the show.