HADESTOWN – a show you can see over and over again and never get bored
Hadestown first premiered off-Broadway in 2016, before moving to London’s National Theatre in 2018, then opening on Broadway in 2019.
London didn’t see the show again for five years until it eventually arrived in the West End in 2024 at the Lyric Theatre. This week I went along to see the show and to check out the latest cast!
What is HADESTOWN about
Hadestown tells the story of songwriter (and dreamer) Orpheus and lost wanderer Eurydice.
The two meet in a time of poverty, where Persephone, the goddess of spring, has gone to the underworld, casting grey clouds over the sky and only returning for six months of each year, bringing with her the sunlight needed for the planet to grow.
Orpheus is writing a song that he thinks will restore nature back to the way it should be and end the world’s problems. But he becomes so obsessed with finishing the song, that he begins to ignore Eurydice, who is then promised a better life by Hades in the underworld.
Before Orpheus realises what is happening, Eurydice agrees to Hades’ offer and leaves the world and her lover behind. Orpheus finds his way to the underworld, begging Hades to let Eurydice return with him.
Hades agrees on the condition that Orpheus must prove his love and trust to Eurydice by walking all the way ahead of her and never looking back to check if she is still there. Spoiler alert, he does (at the very end) and Eurydice is banished to the underworld.
The new cast of HADESTOWN
As our lovers, House of the Dragon star Bethany Antonia plays Eurydice and Black British Theatre Award Winner Marley Fenton is Orpheus. Having seen Marley in The Wizard of Oz (as the Tin Man), I wasn’t sure if he would be the right fit for such a demanding role as Orpheus but I was happily proven wrong and Bethany is wonderful as Eurydice.
X Factor finalist Rachel Adedeji is a brilliant Persephone and I think might just be my favourite character in the whole show. Alastair Parker as Hades has a higher vocal tone than other actors I have seen in the role but still manages to execute it perfectly.
Olivier Award-winning actor Clive Rowe plays Hermes gloriously. This man is a national treasure and his voice feels stronger than ever. Known for his role on the kids’ TV show Tracy Beaker and regularly found in the Hackney panto every year, it is always nice to see Clive really show off his serious acting side. He was wonderful in the National Theatre musical The Light Princess and Hadestown is a wonderful role to once again showcase his talent.
Spike Maxwell, Melanie Bright and Lauran Rae to play the Fates with comedy and mischief and the rest of the ensemble Gabriela Benedetti, Femi Akinfolarin, Michelle Andrews, Ollie Bingham, and Sebastian Lim-Seet play the Workers.
Why I feel a deep connection to HADESTOWN
I first saw Hadestown on Broadway and not knowing much about Greek Mythology, had to Google what on earth was going on at the interval to understand. Since then, I have grown to love it and every time I see it, with every new cast, I feel a deeper connection to the story.
“Why We Build The Wall” has always been a symbol of what is happening in America, building walls to try to keep people out.
The story of Persephone, who returns from the underworld once every six months, bringing with her the sun to help grow crops. But her trips seem to be cut shorter and shorter, reflecting climate change.
On this particular visit, the part that jumped out at me was Orpheus saying ‘if no one takes too much, there will always be enough for all’ which really made me think about the poverty in the world and how if we redistributed wealth around the world everyone may be able to live comfortably (why do people need to keep billions in their bank accounts when there are people starving on the streets).
The wonderful thing about the London production of Hadestown is that every cast member uses their natural accent. Whether you’re northern, Scottish, American, or Trinidadian, this show is inclusive on many levels. By allowing this, each cast bring different elements to the roles, which makes this show something you can see over and over again and never get bored!
Get yourself down, way down, to HADESTOWN
With brilliant folk-jazz songs by Anaïs Mitchell, this is a show you really don’t want to miss. So get yourself down to HADESTOWN or be banished to the underworld forever!
★★★★★
West End Wilma
