Hadestown
Lyric Theatre
The Broadway sensation Hadestown has been playing at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue for just over a year and has recently welcomed its new 2025 cast. I finally went to see it last night and have been wondering since what took me so long.
What I know about Greek Mythology is minimal, learned mainly from the 1960s film Jason and the Argonauts and Disney’s Hercules (another West End Musical in planning). Hades being the God of the Underworld was the extent of my knowledge.
Hadestown is set is in bar in the Deep South, and in despite its darkness, it is, in essence two love stories. The dreamy poet Orpheus falls helplessly in love with Eurydice. The world they live in is cold and dark and Orpheus is striving to compose a song to put things right. When Eurydice is tempted to the underworld, he follows her to bring her back. Their story is intertwined with that of Hades and Persephone whose relationship has lost their spark. Hades is reminded how like Orpheus he once was, and as a result he offers to set the young lovers free if they can pass a test.
Music and lyrics are by Anais Mitchell and mainly have a Jazz Blues vibe but interlaced with beautiful haunting ballads. The songs are varied and compelling. Unlike most current shows in the West End, Hadestown has many repeating refrains and plenty of tunes including ‘Livin’ it up on Top’ & ‘Wait for Me’ that keep you humming all the way home. Another stand out and poignant song is at the end of Act I when Hades asks ‘Why we build the wall’, which gives plenty of food for thought during the interval.
There were no weaknesses in the cast, all of which were superb. The show was ‘narrated’ by Hermes the messenger played by Cedric Neal, recently seen in the marvellous ‘Guys and Dolls‘. His slick delivery was evident from the very beginning of the show where he introduces the players with great gusto.
Playing the young lovers were Desmonda Cathabel (Eurydice) and Dylan Wood (Orpheus) their youth and enthusiasm shining through. Such is their portrayal that the audience are truly behind them as they embark on their quest for freedom. We also have a surprising amount of sympathy for the ‘villain’ of the piece. Chris Jarman’s beautiful portrayal of Hades shows the complexity of his character. Surpressing the underworld due to harbouring an acute sense of loneliness when Persephone leaves him periodically to enjoy life outside Hadestown. Victoria Hamilton-Barritt’s Persephone is a joy of a role and she executes it wonderfully, with just the right mixture of humour and pathos – bravo!
The rest of the cast is made up of the three fates Allie Daniel, Lauran Rae and Melanie Bright and the ‘workers’ in Hadestown, whom Hermes describes as the hardest working chorus in the world, and he is not far wrong.
A musical about love, trust and self doubt. Hadestown is heartbreaking tragic but a joy to watch. I shall not only return but it has also ignited a desire to learn about other Greek Myths. A fabulous production
Reviewer: Sammi O’Neill