Hadestown - Lyric Theatre ★★★

Hadestown has been around since 2006, originally a DIY theatre project staged in Vermont. Creator Anaïs Mitchell decided to record the show as a concept album in 2010, before gaining traction worldwide and eventually reaching UK theatres in 2018. For 20 years, Hadestown has represented the edgier side of musical theatre, attempting to add some roughhewn edges to darken the mythical, continuing to tell the cruel love stories of Hades and Persephone, and Orpheus and Eurydice, to an iconic, bluesy, soulful score. This autumn, a brand new principal cast joins the show, where stage and screen icons share the space with operatic wonder Danielle de Niese, playing Persephone. From Baroque to Broadway, De Niese has done it all – so how will her operatic skills translate to the West End?

Hadestown is by no means a new show, so it requires little introduction. Hermes, played by West End veteran Malinda Parris, narrates the audience through two worlds: one of mortals and one of Gods. Eurydice (Fayth Ifil) is a cold, starving girl, willing to do anything for food and warmth, while Orpheus (Nathan Sykes) is a poor boy with a spellbinding voice who is able to woo her and turn paper into flowers. But before they can live out their happily ever after, Eurydice receives a tempting invitation from Hades, God of the Underworld (Shaun Dooley), to come and work for him in the warm depths of hell – where food is promised, and an industrial revolution is beginning. She accepts after Orpheus does not hear her calls for him. When Orpheus realises she is gone, he begins a long and treacherous journey to the Underworld to win her back. He sings to Hades in an attempt to soften him, but Hades still outlines his terms. If the couple is to leave successfully, Orpheus must walk in front of Eurydice and not look back to check if she is following him. It’s a test of their love, rather than a trick. You can guess the rest!

32 songs fill this two-and-a-half-hour musical, and the cast is singing almost all the way through. Hadestown has a Hamilton-sort-of layout, where dialogue is minimal, and the story is told through song. A live jazz band buzzes as the story plays out. The first song, ‘Road to Hell’, is a musical explosion that lays a foundation for the limitless energy that is Hadestown; from upbeat ensemble numbers to moving ‘Epics’, the band flits between raunchy dissonance and soft indie twangs to create an appropriate atmosphere for each scene. For an ancient story that is so heavily tied to the power of music, it is fair to say the musicians fulfilled their duty. Live music on stage will always bring the drama, but this band is tight! And a pleasure to experience.

Now, onto the shiny new cast! Fayth Ifil is a show-stealer. Perhaps known for her presence on Britain’s Got Talent, for her voice that was able to get Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer, it’s like she has already faced the real-life Hades! Everything Ifil sings is beautiful, but her voice in ‘Flowers’ is shown off perfectly. In such an emotive song, singing about her loss of memory, she flips between chest and head voice seamlessly, easily singing out delicate scalar runs to embellish the melody. On top of it all, she is able to act powerfully as well. Fayth Ifil is captivating.

By her side is the iconic Danielle de Niese, who brings all the operatic passion that makes for a standout performance of Persephone, characterised as a drunk, helpless lover shackled to Hades. De Niese brings Romance to Persephone; she is grounded in a different kind of soul that can only come from decades of classical training and understanding of classical music, which is very interesting to watch on a West End stage. She combines the melodrama of the opera with notable acting skills to make for a fervent performance.

Now, Hadestown is most successful during its ensemble and whole cast numbers. The groovier songs feel easier to engage with, especially when The Fates (Melanie Bright, Spike Maxwell and Lauran Rae) flounce to centre stage. They bring boundless attitude and perfect, technical harmonies. But it must be mentioned that, vocally, Shaun Dooley and Nathan Sykes are weaker than their primary cast members. Dooley takes on a crooning style that does get better as the show goes on, and what he lacks vocally is made up for in his characterisation. Though he fails sometimes to really fill the expected role of evil Satanic ruler, he does make for a compelling, if not more subdued and mysterious, Hades. Sykes, however, is perhaps restricted by his popstar background in The Wanted. This score requires depth and soul, which isn’t what his usual brand of pop delivers. It feels hard to believe that this voice is the one to overrule Hades and win over Eurydice.

If you’re after an evening of catchy tunes and solid live music in the theatre, Hadestown is the musical for you. The entire cast is obviously skilled. Individually, the primary cast does very well, but overall, there seems to be a musical disconnect between some of the singers cast and the vibe of the original score. Perhaps, a more convincing principal cast would be one made of purely soulful singers.