Hadestown

Review by Lisa Butler.

On the road to hell was a railroad line. Stop a while and meet Orpheus and Eurydice...

Intertwining two ancient Greek mythical love stories, ‘Hadestown’ the musical is written by singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and combines the tragic tales of Orpheus and Eurydice with that of King Hades and Persephone.

With music blending modern American folk music with New Orleans jazz, this is a multi-award-winning production with powerful storytelling and a striking visual style.

I saw the production in London at the Lyric Theatre and listen to the soundtrack often, so I was trepidatious to watch a youth version - but I didn’t need to be. The Gallery Players Youth Group have brought together a stunning production with excellent vocals and dancers. If you are expecting an average high school play with backing tracks and ropey tuning, you will be disappointed, because with live musicians, polished choreography and talented singers this production is a delight to watch.

The story…

‘Hadestown’ is a Greek tragedy with a strong theme of hope, and tells the story of a world out of balance, drawing parallels to climate change and food shortages from changes to the seasons.

Hermes (Milena Burza-Mayne) is our all-knowing narrator; she has seen this tale played out before and will see it played out again. She tries to guide Orpheus, as the son of a friend, but he is a headstrong youth and destined to make his own mistakes.

Orpheus, a muse’s son, is well played by Jacob Garner; a dreamer and a musician, he is composing a tune that will make Spring come again in this barren world. His melody is so beautiful it makes flowers bloom.

Eurydice - beautifully sung by India Hill - is a hungry young girl who meets Orpheus and he falls instantly in love with her. Despite a warning from Hermes about not coming on too strong, he sings ‘Come home with me’.

Meanwhile, Hades (Samuel Earthroll – what a voice!), old and jaded by life, allows his wife Persephone to spend half the year in the mortal world (Spring and Summer) while spending the other half in the underworld with him. However, he collects her early because he has missed her and the mortal world feels the effects and goes hungry over the winter.

Persephone, the Goddess of Spring, though married to Hades still has a joyfulness about her, and when she arrives in the mortal world, Spring arrives with her. She is played with sass and style, and a rich voice beyond her years by Mathilde Marsh.

Joining them on stage, the three fates sing some challenging harmonies beautifully and are played by Holly Kerwick, Martha Hockley and Madison Gisborne. The workers, who truly are the hardest working chorus in the Gods’ almighty world, are played by Lucy Bailey, Rosie Coffey, Molly Cutting, Dylan Garner, Harrison Green and Felix Partridge. They were polished, well-choreographed and energetic.

Indeed, everyone was well-rehearsed and provided a stunning opening night, any nerves being hidden behind their confident performances.

The choreography took inspiration from the London show in places to bring the mechanical nature of Hadestown to life, and was precisely and tightly co-ordinated. Wade Ablitt also brought elements of the set design to a smaller space with great effect. Costumes (Hal Darling) including 1920s flapper style dresses sparkled under the lights and provided a stark contrast to the industrial underworld styling.

And the live seven-piece band, led by Musical Director Olly Wood, were just as hard working as the chorus and blended well with the voices without overpowering them.

This production is led by Wade Ablitt as Director, choreographer and designer, and Lucy O’Brien as Assistant Director. While ably supported by an excellent technical team they must be proud to bring such a polished youth show to Suffolk.

Yes, this was a thoroughly enjoyable evening of high quality entertainment. It is difficult to believe it is a teen production; it provides the best that a youth show can be.

You should get a ticket before they sell out.

(Please note: Hadestown should come with a health warning – you will have the songs in your head for many days to come. So, enjoy the earworm melodies and ask your smart speaker to play the soundtrack when you inevitably need to listen to it all again!)

Additional info: As a show Hadestown has been perfected over many years. A version in 2006 was originally launched in the US followed by a studio concept album in 2010. In 2012, it was reworked into a stage version with additional songs and dialogue. This was performed off Broadway in 2016 and in London 2018, before it opened on Broadway in 2019, winning multiple Tony Awards. It had its West End debut in London February 2024. As the show celebrated its 1,000th performance in London it was announced that a new cast will be in the London show from September 15. For those that would like to see the professional version outside of London, it is also going on tour for the first time next year; opening in Leicester in February 2027 and appearing in Norwich May 11-15 2027 at the Theatre Royal.

Hadestown is at The Gallery Studio, Ipswich until 1 August 2026.

FOR SHOW DETAILS AND BOOKING LINK, CLICK HERE

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