Hercules has been on my ‘to see’ list since it opened in June last year and thanks to TodayTix Rush I finally got to make that happen! The musical is based on the Disney musical of the same name and whilst I was behind the times seeing this musical – I am even more behind the times as I have never seen the Disney film!

If, like me, you have either never seen the film and/or are unfamiliar with your Greek mythology Hercules tells the story of the son of Zeus who, due to his uncle Hades jealousy and determination to avoid a prophecy coming true ends up living among the humans and trying to complete an act no god has done before.

The book by Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah is well paced and entertaining although sometimes it struggles to settle on a clear identity – sometimes it has a clear identity rooted in traditional musical theatre but at other times it veers towards pantomime, especially in some of the jokes that are told. That being said the show whizzed along well, the story was clear and it had lots of the basic ingredients from comedy to romance that kept the audiences of all ages engaged. Despite the general entertainment the book failed to move me in any real way, it never felt as if the stakes for any of the characters were high enough to really invest in them and my feeling towards many of the characters was ambivalence.

The score by Alan Menken and lyrics by David Zippel have been added to complement the songs from the film but it was the familiar songs that worked the best, ‘Go The Distance’ is a brilliant piece of musical theatre writing and ‘Zero To Hero’ was a showstopper and perfect to head into the interval on a high.

One thing that the book did well along with the score was unapologetically let the Muses take front and centre in many moments of the show. The Muses are played by Leslie Beehann, Candace Fubert, Sharlene Hector, Brianna Ogunbawo and Robyn Rose-Li and they steal the show whenever they appear on stage. From their soulful riffs to unapologetic sass they are worth the ticket price alone.

The rest of the cast are also incredibly strong. On the performance I saw Jason Leigh Winters was on for Hades, a role he understudies, and he was the perfect blend of camp and evil. Luke Brady played Hercules and he struck the balance between earnest and comedy well. Mae Ann Jorolan played Meg and like the Muses she had a huge amount of attitude and stage presence and really ramped up the sex appeal for her character. Trevor Dion Nicholas played Phil, Hercules’ trainer, and it was this character that got the closest to making me feel something and giving the show a glimpse of heart that it needed.

The set focuses around moving pillars and video screens to keep the scenes flowing the set does lack some of the wow factor that other Disney musicals have had in the past. This was also true for some of the puppetry which either lacked the character or the wow factor that Hercules other West End counterparts can produce. However what felt lacking in the set was more than made up for in the costume department by Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser. The costumes were perfectly pitched for this show, dramatic when needed but also fun at the appropriate times. Each time the Muses stepped onto stage I adored seeing what they would be wearing and in particular how their wig design by Mia M Neal would compliment the costume.

Hercules is an enjoyable and undeniably crowd-pleasing addition to the West End, even if it doesn’t quite reach the emotional heights it seems to be aiming for. There is plenty here to admire, particularly in its performances and standout musical numbers, but it feels like a show still searching for a fully cohesive identity. For audiences looking for a fun, visually engaging evening, it certainly delivers—but for those hoping to be truly moved, it may leave them wanting just a little more. A solid three-star outing that entertains in the moment, even if it doesn’t linger long after the curtain falls.

Hercules is running until September. You can find out more and book tickets on TodayTix here. I got my ticket on the Today Tix Rush for £29 and I was sat F12 in the stalls.

If you like this review you might also like my review of My Neighbour Totoro, Hadestown and Back to the Future.