Hercules at Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Zero to Hero, and just like that, this show is a hit! After having loved seeing Frozen at this theatre, I knew even the Gods couldn’t stop me from seeing yet another Disney classic grace the stage. I walked out saying, boy, was the Disney budget big, and they most definitely made the most of it. With sets to rival the architecture of Olympus and an ensemble that truly are the backbone of this show, Hercules is definitely one for the whole family.

Theatre Royal Drury Lane has a separate entrance for Access Patrons on Russel Street, and this is a step-free entrance into the theatre. I have not required access assistance at this venue, so I cannot comment on that. However, I will say that there are plenty of staff dotted around public spaces, and they happily answered any of my general questions, so I’d assume that they’d be happy to help with any access queries as well.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD*

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My Review:

The show is led by Luke Brady (Hercules), who is a joy to watch throughout the show, bringing effortless energy to his performance. His rendition of Go The Distance was sublime, and the power yet also softness he has in his voice is such a wonderful attribute to his characterisation. Countering him as the headstrong female lead, Meg, is Mae Ann Jorolan. Her I Won’t Say (I’m In Love) was a major stand-out moment for me in this show, as her ability to keep Meg as this head-strong, powerful character whilst also delving into her softer, more vulnerable side was beautiful to watch. Her ability to seamlessly blend and switch between these portrayals showed Mae Ann Jorolan’s deep understanding of the role. During I Won’t Say (I’m In Love) and throughout many other pivotal moments of the show, the characters of the story are joined by The Muses. The incomparable muses are played by Candace Furbert (Thalia), Sharlene Hector (Clio), Brianna Ogunbawo (Melpomene), Malinda Paris (Calliope), and Robyn Rose-Li (Terpsichore). Their performance throughout was heavenly, and they were simply captivating every time they were on the stage, and I couldn’t help but be drawn to watching them due to their amazing voices and engaging performance at every point of the show. The blend of their voices is divine, and their solos, highlighting their individual talents, blew me away each time. I am in absolute awe of the range and talent of all five muses. Trevor Dion Nicholas brings the loveable, if not occasionally pessimistic, character of Phil to life with the most wonderful portrayal. His first introduction in Medusa’s bar sets a high-paced and fun tone for the character, which proceeds throughout the show, and it was a joy to watch him and Luke Brady interact with and play off each other. Playing the antagonist of the show, Hades, is the formidable Stephen Carlile. I loved his characterisation of the fiendish God of Hell, especially how he interwove comedy into the mischievous and devilish nature of Hades. Furthermore, his voice and commanding stage presence were absolutely fabulous. Assisting Hades in his wicked work were the lovable yet not very helpful Bob (Craig Gallivan) and Charles (Lee Zarret). I thoroughly enjoyed watching them interact with each other and the world around them. Throughout the show, they were such an entertaining aspect of comedic relief that further added to my enjoyment of the entire performance.

The ensemble is composed of Rhianna Alleyne, Lana Antoniou, Sarah Benbelaid, Joel Benjamin, Jack Butcher, Nicole Carlisle, Marie Finlayson, Cruz-Troy Hunter, Travis Kerry, Stefan Lagoulis, Ellie Mitchell, Saffi Needham, Ben Nicholas, Matt Overfield, Ope Sowande, and Jason Leigh Winter. The Hercules company swings are Daisy Barnett, Felipe Bejarano, Francessca Daniella-Barker, Ryesha Higgs, Lamoi Leon, Jordan Livesey, Harriet Millier, Ingrid Olivia, and Patrick John Robinson. The entire company of Ensemble and Swings are the backbone of this show, providing a larger-than-life feeling to the entire show. They were flawless and able to stand out whilst also blending in as part of the ensemble in scenes, creating a natural but engaging feel to the show. This is such a unique and wonderful aspect of ensemble work and something that I always look forward to seeing in shows.

The puppetry in this show is a spectacle, and that is truly down to the collaborative work of the ensemble on stage and also Jack Butcher (Puppet Captain), Joshua Butcher (Puppet Movement Coordinator), James Ortiz (Original Puppet Design), and Dane Laffrey (Additional Puppet Contributions).

This is certainly one to catch whilst Olympus rules over the Theatre Royal Drury Lane!

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Content Warnings:

The theatre did not have any warnings on display that I spotted; however, it should be mentioned that this production includes:

• Thunder & Lightning Sound Effects

• Loud Noises

• Themes of Death and the Afterlife

• Haze

• Confetti Cannons

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

- AnxiousTheatregoer