Since Hadestown appeared at the National In 2018 it seems like the West End audiences have been begging for it to get a full scale run in the London and now they have got their wish, however would it live up to the built up expectations?

The show is based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, two young lovers. Eurydice who is living in poverty is enticed to the underworld by their King, Hades, in return for food and shelter. When Orpheus discovers Eurydice has gone he sets about on a mission to rescue her following advice from our narrator Hermes who has taken Orpheus under their wing. Meanwhile Eurydice, after signing a contract and sealing her fate, becomes a worker and learns that life is not what it seems in Hadestown.

The book by Anais Mitchell is a fascinating one. Whilst the story itself is a relatively simple one there are are so many fascinating characters, interesting relationships and underlying political meanings it is gripping. The show succeeds in not only making me root for Orpheus and Eurydice but also for Hades and his wife Persephone and the fate of the workers in Hadestown.

The music and lyrics, also by Mitchell rooting in jazz are hauntingly beautiful at times with songs such as ‘Flowers’ and at other moments strong and powerful ‘Why We Build The Wall,’ and it is no surprise that the cast recording won a Grammy for best musical theatre album however seeing these songs performed live on stage sent shivers down my spine. The show is sung through and the music combined with Rachel Chavkin’s ingenuity in the staging ensures it is a night to remember at the theatre.

The set design by Rachel Hauck and lighting design by Bradley King only adds to the awe inspiring scenes on stage. The full turntable as well as lift centre stage which means the cast can disappear into the underworld helps make some of the sequences unforgettable.

These beautifully crafted moments on stage are only enhanced by the talent of the performers across the board and to add to this the diversity on stage, in many senses of the word was wonderful to see (other West End shows please take note). Grace Hodgett Young plays Eurydice and she is becoming one of musical theatre’s rising stars. She manages to portray not only a strong woman but also a woman in love and it is beautiful to see that these two worlds can collide in her portrayal. There has also been some discussion about the use of accents in the West End version and in particular hers and Donal Finn who plays Orpheus. To me the use of natural accents really helps with the political nature of the piece and there is no reason to keep American accents for the transfer when the piece is firmly rooted in mythology.

Zachary James played Hades and his bass vocals resonated through the theatre. He also succeeded in portraying a human side to Hades, someone who missed his wife and was conflicted as to how to handle his power making it an intriguing and nuanced performance. Gloria Onitiri took on the role of Persephone after playing one of the Fates in the previous run at the National Theatre. The whole stage lit up whenever she graced it and her joy when she was away from the underworld shone through.

In this production Hermes is being played by a female actress and Melanie La Barrie took on this role, decked out in a 3 piece suit and pocket watch. She had the audience eating out of the palm of her hand from the moment she began to introduce the major players in the show and easily established herself as the audiences guide to the underworld.

Hadestown is a musical which excels in all areas, an intriguing book, soaring melodies, an engaging cast and creative flair aplenty. Wait for no-one to get yourself to the Lyric Theatre to see this performance.

To find out more about Hadestown and to book tickets you can visit their website here.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Cruel Intentions, The Little Big Things and Guys and Dolls