Review: Hades Town London
We have been making the most of the Kids Go Free at the theatre this summer, where children aged 17 and under go free when accompanied by an adult paying full price between Wednesday 24 July – Friday 6 September.
Following on from Mean Girls, our next musical to see was Tonie award winning Hades Town, which is unlike any musical we have seen before.
The musical is based on the ancient Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, intertwined with the doomed love story of Eurydice and Orpheus, but set to modern American folk with New Orleans-inspired jazz music.
The story was brilliantly introduced by the master of ceremonies, Hermes (Allie Daniel), who has the most incredible voice, singing the Road to Hell, which features the returning sound of a steam train which carries the suggestions of a fateful journey, all accompanied by a live band sat each side of the stage.
We normally research and listen to the score of musicals before we go, but we went in blind for this one and I am so glad we did. I
We loved the storytelling element to the show and the fact that the set was a New Orleans-style saloon bar which barely changes throughout the musical, leaving the voices to so all the storytelling.
The main story was of the two young lovers who meet and fall for each other, but Orpheus’s obsession with creating the perfect song leads him to neglect Euridyce, who turns to Zachary James’s mob boss-like god of the underworld Hades for protection where she is imprisoned in his realm, but Orpheus is determined to rescue her?
Gloria Onitiri exudes charisma as Persephone, who spends six months of the year above the ground, where she ensures that the crops grow, flowers bloom, and fields are green and six months with Hades in the underworld, where she hates his creation of a modern-like world, with oil, cars and bright Vegas-like lights, plunging the world in to a Great Depression like state.
I cannot tell you my favourite song, they’re all so good, but Road to Hell, Way Down Hadestown, Wait for Me and Hey Little Songbird are all up there for me.
I also loved the ending of the show, after the bows, where we had one final song to remember and celebrate Orpheus.
Pour the wine and raise a cup
Drink up, brothers, you know how
And spill a drop for Orpheus
Merchandise wise, the prices are on par with other musicals, with t-shirts at £25, mugs and pins £10 and the programme £5.
We were also impressed that all the cast came out to meet their waiting crowd on a matinee show, happy to pose for photo’s and sign autographs.
If you are visiting London and are not sure what to see, we highly recommend Hades Town!!
