# Lucy Stoddart on stepping into State Opera's genre-bending fairy tale **Interview** — On Your Markus **Published:** 8 August 2026 **Author:** Markus Hamence **Source:** https://onyourmarkus.au/interview/hansel-and-gretel/ Lucy Stoddart joins State Opera South Australia's genre-bending production of Hansel and Gretel, directed by Constantine Costi with design by Jonathan Oxlade, featuring countertenor Kangmin Justin Kim as Hansel and Sofia Troncoso as Gretel. The Humperdinck opera, conducted by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, opens a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm tale that treats the fairy story as raw material for adults confronting fear and survival. --- INTERVIEW: **Markus Hamence** is in **The Jungle Room** with **Lucy Stoddart** who performs in **State Opera South Australia**'s **Hansel & Gretel** [Watch on YouTube](https://youtu.be/UQtrB3tZySQ) “Who’s that nibbling at my house? Nibble, nibble, I hear a mouse. Who’s that nibbling at my house?” Step into the dark, enchanted forest where danger lurks behind every tree and sweetness hides sinister secrets. Constantine Costi’s visionary, genre-bending production of Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel, has lead design by Jonathan Oxlade. Based on the haunting original by the Brothers Grimm, Hansel and Gretel brings to life a timeless story of courage, cunning, and the triumph of self-reliance. The world’s most in-demand countertenor, Kangmin Justin Kim takes to the stage as Hansel with Sofia Troncoso as Gretel, returning to Adelaide following a triumphant season as Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute. With Catherine Carby in the dual role of the Witch and the Mother, Morgan Pearse as Peter and South Australian emerging artist, Lucy Stoddart, this is an ensemble cast not to be missed. Accompanied by a wonderfully talented Children’s Chorus and other leading artists from State Opera South Australia, Humperdinck’s lush, Wagnerian score is played by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. This is Hansel and Gretel as you’ve never seen it before - raw, riveting, and deeply human. A fairy tale not just for children, but for anyone who’s ever had to face their fears - and find their way home. **HANSEL & GRETEL** 21 Aug 2026 – 29 Aug 2026 Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide **[TICKETS](https://www.stateopera.com.au/productions/2026/hansel-and-gretel)** ![Two silhouetted figures stand in an orange-hued forest clearing, framed by dark branches and undergrowth.](https://media.onyourmarkus.au/admin/2026/08/8e596613-b0a9-4a10-8d43-9b9d528c6482.webp)