Hadestown (OBC and West End Cast) at the Lyric Theatre

This show really is something special. It was such a privilege to be able to watch some of the OBC and Philip Boykin shine on the Lyric stage and the memories of this show are something I will cherish. The atmosphere was magical and both the cast and experience were a stand-out theatre experience for me, so if you are able to get tickets, I urge you to go and if you already have tickets, I am sure you will have the best time! It must also be mentioned that Eva Noblezada, Philip Boykin and Reeve Carney went down the full stage door queue and spoke to everyone, which must have taken around an hour and I truly commend them for being so generous with their time.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

My Review:

André De Shields opens the show as Hermes by engaging the audience before leading into Road To Hell, which is one of the most perfect show openings I have seen. André De Shields captivates in his performance as Hermes both when he is leading as the narrator of the show but also when he is interacting with the Workers and other cast members at various points throughout the show, a particular favourite of these was when he walks on with Amber Gray (Persephone) before Our Lady of the Underground. His vocals are delightful to listen to and I thoroughly enjoyed his portrayal of Hermes, which conveyed to me as Hermes who has been telling this story over and over and slowly loses their hope each time they sing it again. This for me is such an emotionally charged and considered portrayal of Hermes, which adds so much to the ending when the cast starts to sing the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice again. André De Shields’ ability to hold my attention as an audience member was impressive and is always an ability of those portraying the role of Hermes that leaves me in awe of their talent. I loved the subtle motion of André De Shields holding Reeve Carney’s shoulder before Epic 3 to show his support for Orpheus, which is significant as to me his portrayal felt very much as though Hermes was a father figure for Orpheus. There is more power behind this care for Orpheus when you consider that Hermes has repeatedly told the story and knows how it will end, but still shows hopes that maybe it will be different this time.

Philip Boykin embodies the charismatic and commanding nature of Hades with his portrayal of this role shining during Why Do We Build The Wall which was conveyed to the audience as a campaign speech used to keep his workers in line which adds to the significance of Eurydice giving in and joining in for the last line showing her transition from Eurydice to another workers as she loses her independence. His walking around the stage whilst holding the microphone and his ability to use his stage presence made this song an extremely powerful moment for me as an audience member. I loved his choice to utilise his incredible range by going high on ‘Canary’ during Songbird vs. Rattlesnake in order to mimic Eurydice, this high moment completely contrasted the low end of his range where he was able to deliver just as impressive deep notes and lines. This use of his undeniable range across lines was a joy to listen to, but it was his rich and strong singing voice that truly showed me what a fabulous Hades he is. Whilst discussing the character of Hades, the significance of costuming must be mentioned as the significance of Hades having a wall on his arm as a sleeve tattoo stands out to me as it contrasts the line about Orpheus wearing his heart on his sleeve as it further symbolises how Hades has built a wall around his heart. The knowledge of this wall around Hades’ heart adds to the impactfulness of Epic 3 as we see Orpheus’ song be able to slowly break down the wall however the tattoo remains showing that this wall is not truly gone which helps to explain the action of Hades later when he still willingly makes decisions that he knows Persephone will be hurt by.

Reeve Carney stuns as Orpheus from start to finish capturing the journey of this character from love-filled joy to heartbroken despair as the show's events unfold. His rendition of Wait For Me has a beautiful power behind it and the power of his portrayal was shown to me as my only thought during this song was that it had been too long since I last saw Hadestown and that I needed to book the show again simply based off of the performance I was witnessing. Reeve Carney’s voice truly is a joy to listen to and his vocal choices throughout the show continuously reminded me that I was actually seeing this cast perform live rather than listening to the cast recording which is still such a pinch-me moment for me. His If It’s True had a raw power to it, which is essential for the impactfulness of this song, and it moved me as an audience member to see hope return for Orpheus as the Worker’s Chorus joined him during Chant (Reprise).

Eva Noblezada’s portrayal of Eurydice left me in awe with her absolutely sublime vocals and characterisation throughout the show. A stand-out moment for me was her rendition of Flowers which was emotionally fueled and heartbreakingly beautiful to watch. Also, her transition from being hesitant to be close to Orpheus during All I’ve Ever Known to breathing him in and holding him as tight as possible once Orpheus has reached Eurydice in Hadestown. Her characterisation of Eurydice perfectly mixes independence and hope to showcase the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice with such power that the audience is reeled in making the ending all the more devastating for them. Eva Noblezada switched from small comedic moments to pure power seamlessly making her performance a masterclass in voice and acting which I feel so privileged to have been able to have seen live and I cannot wait for her portrayal of Eurydice to be captured and immortalised for more people to see the talent that is Eva Noblezada.

Ambery Gray is perfection as Persephone capturing the free and energetic nature that we first see during Livin’ It Up On Top and flawlessly transitioning into the lost hope seen during How Long?. Amber Gray blends performance with vocal delivery for some truly fabulous performances and one of these that will stay with me is her rendition of Our Lady of the Underground. She interacted with the audience in a way that felt natural and fitting and ensured that the vocal talent she was displaying was never lost to her portrayal but instead complimented by it. I also loved her interactions with other characters when she was not the focus of the scene, as these also added to her character, such as her flirting with Hermes or her looking out to Orpheus when he is in Hadestown. When she looks out to Oprheus her face conveys concern for him and for me, this suggests that she sees the hope of a new relationship between Eurydice and Orpheus and does not want them to reach the same fate as her and Hades and as such cares for them and hopes that no harm will reach them.

During this performance, I saw Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne, and Allie Daniel as the Fates. The three of them were a joy to watch perform and the way that their voices mix and compliment each other adds to the almost ethereal feeling that I get when I see the Fates. Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne, and Allie Daniel were able to perform as a trio to portray the Fates but were also able to sine individually highlighting the talent of each of them without overpowering one another which is a testament to their ability as performers to be able to perform so well both individually and as part of an ensemble throughout the show. They were all able to brilliantly portray the idea that the Fates at points verbalise people's thoughts and can feed them for their own benefit, and this is especially shown during Doubt Comes In. For me, the Fates during this song are verbalising the doubt already in Orpheus’ mind and feeding it in order to make him falter. The Fates are also shown to verbalise a thought process during Word to the Wise when Hades is trying to decide how to deal with Orpheus. In this scene, the Fates allow Hades to weigh the pros and cons of his decision, and my interpretation is that they almost manipulate Hades, ultimately leading to him making a decision which then allows the Fates to manipulate and feed Orpheus’ thoughts during Doubt Comes In. Due to this, the Fates for me seem to be the most pivotal characters in the show with regards to the end outcome and how it is reached. As such, Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne, and Allie Daniel must be commended for their astounding ability to convey all of this to the audience whilst also delivering heavenly vocals and performance.

The Workers Chorus for the show that I saw was made up of Lauren Azania, Tiago Dhondt Bamberger, Christopher Short, Winny Herbert, and Ryesha Higgs. They all have fabulous voices that are able to blend as an ensemble whilst also standing out in their own rights and I will forever be in awe of the ensemble of this show for how they perfectly capture the characters they play and the amount that they are able to add to the show, especially during scenes such as If It’s True. The Workers Chorus for me is what makes If It’s True and Chnat (Reprise) such powerful moments in the show. Also, it is the Worker's chorus presence that adds to the power that Hades is able to project during Why Do We Build The Wall.

I could discuss the cleverness of Hadestown for hours on end and a prime example of this for me is the use of dynamics and lighting throughout the show and this is a credit to the talent of Rachel Chavkin (Director), David Neuman (Choreography), Rachel Hauck (Scenic Design and Bradley King (Lighting Design). I am not sure whether it is a coincidence or planned but the main characters that project shadows on the back wall of the stage are the fates which gives them an even more ethereal feel and also highlights that the only time another group of shadows is seen for a significant amount of time is during If It’s True where the audience see the workers shadows whilst they are used by Hades to attack Orpheus. Another feature of this that I love is the use of choreography by David Neuman to show when the workers are released and when Hades takes back control of them. Dynamics are used throughout the show, such as when Hades is raised to be a level above that of the workers in order to highlight his influence over them. Dynamics are also used when Hades and Orpheus are raised on the centre circle above Eurydice and Persephone, for me, these levels are used to show how the love stories of these four characters are intertwined. This intertwining is shown throughout the show, such as how when Hades and Persephone are able to become closer, Eurydice and Orpheus become more distanced. The showing of the link between these four characters is even more significant when Hades says “It's time for spring we’ll try again next fall” to which Persephone says “Wait for me.” and he replies “I will.”. The link is significant at this moment as both couples are undergoing separation, but the pair that will reunite has switched based on those now saying “Wait for me”. This swapping is shown as earlier in the show, Orpheus says “Wait for me” before he is able to return to Eurydice and later in the show, Persephone says it as she plans to return to Hades in the Fall. The choreography by David Neuman is so cleverly considered throughout the whole show, and a moment where there is beautifully showcased is during Doubt Comes In, Eurydice appears and vanishes since there are two interpretations that she is either truly vanishing or is simply slipping from Orpheus’ mind as doubt takes a hold. For me I follow the second interpretation more because Eurydice is constantly replaced by the Fates during this song and to me this conveys that this alternation between Eurydice and the Fates is because the Fates are slowly making Orpheus think that Eurydice is gone when she is actually behind him, thus showing that the doubt is slowly taking over. I truly think that I adore this show as much as I do because everything feels considered and as though it has meaning. Every time I watch this show I notice something new and fall in love with it all over again.

I cannot urge people enough to go and see this show as it is one of the best and most powerful pieces of theatre that I have seen recently and is truly one that must be witnessed to be appreciated. I am thrilled that a pro-shot is being filmed as it will improve the accessibility of this show to a wider audience. I hope that more and more shows will follow suit and create pro-shots to allow greater accessibility of theatre for those who are not able to see shows live due to various reasons such as cost, travel, etc.

Content Warnings:

The theatre has warnings on display which are as follows:

This performance includes strobe-like effects and use of smoke and haze

This show does not contain any triggering moments that I am aware of, however, I feel that these warnings should be noted:

There are extremely bright lights that at some points do become uncomfortable, especially for the first couple of rows
The haze spreads into the audience which could be uncomfortable for people

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope this review has proved interesting and helpful for you :)

- AnxiousTheatregoer