David Walliams will be returning to our screens this Christmas in his third fairytale special for Sky – Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After.
The Britain’s Got Talent judge has played a prince, a giant and now he’s transforming into a troll alongside regular collaborator Sheridan Smith for the upcoming festive episode, which explores what might have happened after Hansel and Gretel (seemingly) defeated the Witch.
At a Q&A for the special earlier this year, Walliams spoke about the cancel culture jokes that feature in the episode, explaining: “I just think when we’re doing something in the modern day, it’s good to have jokes about things that are going on at the time.”
Read on for everything we know so far about Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After.
Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After release date
Confirmed: The episode is due to air on December 23rd at 8pm on Sky Max.
Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After cast
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David Walliams and Sheridan Smith both return to After Ever After for another fairytale, with Smith starring as The Witch and Walliams playing a troll.
As for the titular characters, they’re played by newcomers Bill Bekele (Hansel) and Lily Aspell (Gretel), while their father Englebert is played by Mark Addy (Game of Thrones, The Salisbury Poisonings).
Feel Good’s Sophie Thompson stars as the children’s stepmother Frieda, while EastEnders star Cheryl Fergison plays the town executor.
What is Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After about?
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Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After picks up where the titular fairytale left off – with the two children heading home after escaping the Witch’s gingerbread house and shutting her in her massive oven.
While Hansel and Gretel are under the impression that they’ve killed the Witch, it transpires that she’d managed to escape before being baked to death and decides to take her revenge – by plying the villagers with sweets before enacting her wicked plan.
“Determined to set things right, it’s up to Hansel and Gretel to face their worst fears and return to the witch’s house for a final showdown,” Sky teases.
Speaking to RadioTimes.com and other press at a roundtable for the special, Walliams said that he picked Hansel and Gretel for After Ever After as it was his favourite fairytale growing up, and he wanted to tell the story from a different perspective.
“If you’re going to do a sequel, it’s got to tell a different type of story. It can’t be just like, ‘Oh, the witch is bad again and then she’s trapped in the oven again.’ It’s interesting with fairy stories isn’t it because they mean different things in different periods of time
“But there’s obviously something central about them that we all return to that we love, and then people question certain elements of it.”
Hansel and Gretel: After Ever After trailer
Sky has released a full-length trailer for the upcoming special, teasing Sheridan Smith as the scary Witch.
Hansel and Gretel: After Ever Afters airs on Sky MAX and NOW at 8pm on December 23rd. Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide.