Welsh National Opera Hansel and Gretel Witch Transformation.

RD-WITCH0079TTHIS IMAGE IS LICENSED TO THE WELSH NATIONAL OPERA FOR PR AND COMMUNICATION USE AND DISTRIBUTION TO THE MEDIA WHO MAY USE THE PICTURE FREE OF CHARGE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RELEVANT STORY ONLY.
Hansel & Gretal.
© Roger Donovan, Media Photos, 10 Eugene Close, St Mellons, Cardiff, CF3 0LZ.
Tel: 02920 361126
Mobile: 07711 325100
e-mail: [email protected]
www.mediaphotos.co.uk RD-WITCH0026TTHIS IMAGE IS LICENSED TO THE WELSH NATIONAL OPERA FOR PR AND COMMUNICATION USE AND DISTRIBUTION TO THE MEDIA WHO MAY USE THE PICTURE FREE OF CHARGE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RELEVANT STORY ONLY.
Hansel & Gretal.
© Roger Donovan, Media Photos, 10 Eugene Close, St Mellons, Cardiff, CF3 0LZ.
Tel: 02920 361126
Mobile: 07711 325100
e-mail: [email protected]
www.mediaphotos.co.uk RD-WITCH0001TTHIS IMAGE IS LICENSED TO THE WELSH NATIONAL OPERA FOR PR AND COMMUNICATION USE AND DISTRIBUTION TO THE MEDIA WHO MAY USE THE PICTURE FREE OF CHARGE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RELEVANT STORY ONLY.
Hansel & Gretal.
© Roger Donovan, Media Photos, 10 Eugene Close, St Mellons, Cardiff, CF3 0LZ.
Tel: 02920 361126
Mobile: 07711 325100
e-mail: [email protected]
www.mediaphotos.co.uk

Three pictures which are from a 2008 Welsh National Opera commission to photograph the transformation of the witch in Hansel and Gretel as make up and a little padding are applied to create the frightening larger than life stage character. The pictures were used for pre publicity in newspapers around the country to promote the forthcoming production as the theatre company toured the UK. The transformation is quite remarkable and just how the actor sings in all that latex is a mystery.

These pictures were all shot in a cramped dressing room backstage at The Millennium Centre in Cardiff prior to a dress rehearsal. If memory serves me right I used two Nikon SB800 flashguns to light the shots and what with my lighting stands, two makeup artists, the performer and a PR guy things were a little cramped. 

I was very happy with the result and I guess the WNO were too as seven years later in 2015 I was asked to shoot the same series again with a different performer when they next toured with the same production. Here's a link to these pictures as they were used in the pre publicity feature in the Daily Post in Liverpool.