08: 1996 - Hans, The Witch And The Gobbin

In many respects, a similar set to the one for "Alice...", this took the same design principles and moved them on a little. Although it used the same backdrop and screening-flats approach to create a forest, the scenery was that much more detailed and beautiful. In a way, it had to be, as there were far fewer set-pieces and free-standing items and hence less to distract from the background look.

The log went on and off a few times - a heavy old thing to be shifting - and the witch's cottage had to appear and disappear. It was supposed to be magical and able to jump from place to place. From memory, this was the first time we used pyroflashes on stage - rented at the time, we have our own equipment now. The cottage was built with wooden runners: lights dipped off, a flash, bang, smoke and a good hefty shove (or pull) did the trick for that particular effect. Other than that we had the palace (just a couch in front of the half-tabs) and the Queen of the Forest's grotto ( a throne and some cut-out statues, also in front of the half-tabs): the latter was all done under ultraviolet light so pale items glowed and everything else was dark.

It was a very pretty stage, though: perhaps only edged by the later "Witch and the Wiffler", with a back wall of misty, pastel mountains of which - regrettably - no complete photos remain.