'Hadestown' at the National Theatre

The new musical at the National Theatre is 'Hadestown', a re-telling of the stories of Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone. Guess who's town it is? It really is a bit of an oddity but it works and there are a few interesting twists to the usual story.

You know the old story, right? How Hades kidnapped Persephone and that's how we have winter? And how Orpheus found his way into Hades through the power of his music to rescue Eurydice but failed at the last hurdle? Well, that's the starting point but this play fills in the details in a slightly different way.

The show opens in a jazz club with the band on stage, the chorus at tables around the tables and Hermes, our narrator, telling us what we're going to see. He didn't have wings on his feet but he was definitely a messenger. He wandered on and off the centre of the stage bringing cool when needed to help take the story forward. Most of the cast were on the stage for most of the time so this must be a very tiring play for them to be in. The chorus was especially active in the second half when the turntable stage came into it's own.

In this telling of the old story Persephone is perpetually half-cut with a bottle of wine never far from her. I'd never thought of this before, the child of Ceres, goddess of summer and the harvest and her daughter is the recipient of that harvest of grapes and grain in the shape of booze. It was a nice touch. Even when in Hell, she has a handy hip-flask to share with the damned.

I was very impressed with the chorus who were bar-room buddies one moment and tormented souls in hell the next. A very disciplined group with some excellent and well practiced choreography. They really came into their own in the second half when the Olivier turntable stage came into it's own and the chorus were all over the place in synchronised movements. I also liked the three Fates, sassy and bossy by turns - I wouldn't want to run up against them.

I was surprised to learn that I'd already seen the two male leads on stage before, in 'Spiderman' on Broadway years ago. Reeve Carney played Orpheus and Patrick Page played Hades with a deep, deep vocal. Patrick came off best in this one. I also really liked Amber Grey as the half-cut Persephone with a hip flask always handy.

I really enjoyed the show, the bluesy/folksy songs, the use of the Oliver stage and the re-telling of those old, old stories. It's come from small theatre New York and is set to head back to Broadway so enjoy it at the National Theatre while you can. I quite fancy going back again later in the run.