Out Loud! will launch with Engelbert Humperdinck’s “Hansel and Gretel” at The Cockpit in Marylebone, London, on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18, 2026.

The production, the company’s first-ever, is presented by Out Loud! and Kids at The Cockpit.

William Byram directs, with Adam Dickson as musical director and costume design by Jackie Crier.

The cast includes Rozanna Madylus as Hansel, Anna Gregg as Gretel and Mae Heydorn in the triple role of the Mother, the Sandman and the Witch. Madylus has performed with Regents Opera and English National Opera, Gregg with the Royal Opera and Heydorn with Glyndebourne and Regents Opera. Eleven young artists from BWA Performing Arts, a South London dance school, will also take part.

Out Loud! aims to amplify queer stories through reworkings of the canon and through the performance and commission of new works by LGBTQ+ composers, writers and creative teams. Plans for 2027 include the European premiere of a chamber opera by a major American composer, as well as networking events for artists in the sector. The company will release details at a future date.