Hadestown | Lyric Theatre

Hadestown has entered a new chapter with a stellar cast and it truly is a delight. Exceptionally formed and crafted, the show is a fever dream of chaos and passion. Writer and composer Anaïs Mitchell has crafted something truly unique with Hadestown, to take a classic tale and make them fresh and completely accessible to a modern audience.

Rachel Chavkin’s direction is slick and earnest, especially in the moments of realisation. David Neumann’s choreography creates a symmetry amongst the performers, as if all are moving as one, especially with the moving stage and journey of the piece. It is resonant and deeply moving.

Intertwining the Greek myths of Hades and Persephone, and Orpheus and Eurydice, we venture into this tale with a stunning score of folk music intertwined with jazz. It’s like a dream, beckoning you in.

Shaun Dooley is haunting and complex as Hades, like Depeche Mode on legs, complex and human. Danielle De Niese, Fayth Ifil and Nathan Sykes are vocally flawless, truly a masterclass in technique and emotion. De Niese is like a firework and hits every mark. Ifil’s performance is full to the brim with emotion, she could almost be described as a vocal poet. Even if their chemistry is slightly fleeting at points, Sykes is undeniably talented and vocally never falters. This marks his theatre debut and undoubtedly this will be the beginning of many further roles to his name. Malinda Parris was simply born to be a storyteller, her stage presence as Hermes goes from strength to strength.

The cast as an ensemble, along with Melanie Bright, Spike Maxwell and Lauran Rae personifying The Fates, are so in sync they almost feel like one entity. What makes this production so satisfying is the way there is a sense of care from the ensemble, they WANT to tell this story and clearly enjoy doing so. It creates a sense of ease amongst the audience that you can only feel when you know you’re in the presence of professionals.

Rachel Hauck’s set design is epic yet intimate, alongside the lighting from Bradley King, it all feels almost invasive but in the best possible way. It doesn’t allow you to get comfortable in one setting for too long, with the lamp choreography and set opening up into the underworld, it’s simply stunning.

Hadestown serves as a reminder that theatre is and always will be political. Snippets and moments capture current affairs and states of our time with complete sincerity, to the point where the piece feels timeless. We will always relate to it in some way. Two souls falling in love and struggling to be together due to mitigating factors surrounding them, I know I will always feel drawn in and will always empathise.

The piece strips theatre to its fundamental state, to raw and moving material. But material is only as good as the performers expressing it, and in this case they fly. It’s organic, natural and beautiful storytelling at its finest. I have no doubt this show will continue to excel for years to come.

Hadestown is currently booking up until December 2027 at the Lyric Theatre - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★★★ (5*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Brinkhoff-Moegenburg