THE functional concrete of Hereford’s Garrick House multi-storey car park will be transformed into a beguiling urban forest later this month, when new performance company Feral Productions presents the world premiere of The Gingerbread House, a radical adult adaptation of the classic fairytale, Hansel and Gretel.

This unique promenade performance blends elements of fairytale, urban dance, theatre and even silent disco to deliver a subtle but profound commentary on crumbling consumer culture.

Audiences will hear the dialogue and soundtrack through headsets while watching the actor/dancers performing live in front of a projected backdrop – creating an experience that takes mixed-media production to new heights.

“This is a pilot project for Feral Productions,” says artistic director Estelle van Warmelo.

“It is the first in a series of promenade fairytales in unusual locations entitled Feral Tales for the 21st Century, all of which will blend a variety of performance mediums and take place in spaces never before associated with performing arts. For this first production, we’ve taken Hansel and Gretel, with its topics of hunger, poverty, temptation and greed, and turned it on its head.

“What we aimed for is something that is more like an event than a performance, leaving the audience feeling enriched, enlivened and uplifted,” explains Estelle. “It’s more like we’re creating an installation.”

Feral Productions brings together an impressive array of local talents.

Estelle is collaborating with Megan Baker, a specialist in site specific performance whose past works include pieces in caves under the city of Naples and in a toilet cubicle, and with producer Alison Sian Davies.

Choreography is by Tamsin Fitzgerald, director of 2FaCeD Dance Company, working to a soundtrack created by rising DJ Anthony Murphy, a founding member of hiphop group The Anomalies.

The professional performers will be joined by volunteers from the local community, drawn from the adult learning groups at The Courtyard, where the piece will begin each night.

“The number of people who want to be involved in The Gingerbread House is phenomenal,” said Estelle, who formed Feral Prod-uctions with Alison and Megan earlier this year.

“We had all reached a point in our careers where we wanted to move on from where we were. None of us have done anything like this before, but what we’re about is doing extraordinary things in ordinary places. We want to turn things upside down a bit and look at things from a new angle.”

There will be perfomances of The Gingerbread House at 7.30pm and 9pm every night from Wednesday until October 31.

To book, call the box office on 01432 340555 or visit courtyard.org.uk.