Hercules
Theatre Royal Drury Lane
For my 11th birthday I received a television and VCR, this was back in the days where we still had Blockbusters, and I went to my local and rented a VHS copy of Hercules. I then proceeded to watch the film 5 times within the 2 days that I had the Disney film on loan. So, you might say that the animated film on which this new theatrical production is based upon is one that I know well! Having previously watched all the big Disney musicals over the years (the first West End show that I ever saw was the original run of Beauty and the Beast at the Dominion Theatre in 1997), I had high hopes for the new production of Hercules at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
The dazzling cast of this production is headed by Luke Brady, who brings a lovable charm and innocence to the young outcast Hercules whom we meet at the beginning of the show. His rendition of the moving “Go the distance” perfectly captured the longing of someone who has just never really fit in, with flawless vocals this moment was a highlight of the show. Hercules journey to find himself and what it means to be a true hero remains the driving storyline of the musical, along the way he is bowled over by Megara (Mae Ann Jorolan) who insists that she doesn’t need rescuing from this ‘Wonder Boy’. The character of Meg is a lot more rounded out than the film version and is played as a strong character toughened by previous heartache and her subsequent detainment in the underworld with Hades.
To be able to portray convincingly that Hercules retained his Godlike strength, the show needed to deliver on special effects throughout, which they did predominantly during the number “One Last Hope” sung by Phil (Trevor Dion Nicholas) who has been reimagined as a human character, a marked difference from the film. The staging of the show is fantastic, the way in which the vortex that human souls enter is portrayed was particularly creative and the entire production was a feast for the eyes.
As a Disney fan, I would say that the musical has altered several elements of the film for this stage adaption which renders it notably different. Characters have been cut and added and reimagined, more so than any previous Disney theatrical production that I have seen previously. Most of the costumes are only loosely based on the film versions; they are bedazzling but different. The show has an almost comedic feel to it a lot of the time with a lot of one liner littered throughout. These are predominantly delivered by Hades (Stephen Carlile) which gives quite a different feel to the character from the film version. I have to say that my 10-year-old who isn’t overly familiar with the film really loved this production and found it fun and engaging, so this production is a great choice for children and the young at heart.
Reviewer: Lisa Dawn
Photo (c) Disney