Review by Sarah Lockyer of
Hadestown Teen
Platform Theatre School
Studio Theatre Ballakermeen
21-22 March 2026
Hadestown is a compelling and challenging musical by Anaïs Mitchell which sets the ancient myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone, in a haunting post-apocalyptic world. It is essentially a love story but explores larger issues of power, exploitation and the resilience of the human spirit through the medium of folk music, jazz, and blues.
In the musical, Orpheus, a poor young musician, travels to the underworld to rescue Eurydice, a destitute woman he has fallen in love with. Hades has lured her there by promising to meet her basic human needs of food and shelter, but Hadestown turns out to be a hellish underground industrial landscape where nameless souls toil endlessly, building a wall that traps them inside as well as keeping others out. Moreover, the growing tension between Hades and his wife Persephone, representing the seasons and natural order, has repercussions for the worlds above and below.
In this ambitious all-female production, every aspect of the acting, music and choreography, as well as the superb staging, drew the audience inexorably into a world of fantasy and nightmare, where tenderness and humour rubbed shoulders with seduction and horror.
The starkness of the black studio stage provided the perfect backdrop, and basic furniture was used imaginatively in various ways, providing different acting levels and suggesting a range of locations. The red chair used by Hermes as narrator immediately suggested a hellish setting, but her microphone stand also added to a basement jazz club feel, as did her compere-style outfit. The steam-punk costumes of the Fates were perfect as they seemed to shift from cabaret performers to new-age witches. All the costumes worked effectively, from Persephone’s fur coat to Hades’ corporate three-piece suit and the timeless, peasant-like, shirt and jeans of Orpheus. Lighting made a powerful contribution to the contrasting settings of the world above and the underworld, with its threatening red glow and the creative use of the workers’ head lamps as spotlights, used to great effect at the climax of the action, when Orpheus is trying to lead Eurydice home.
The live musicians brought the wonderful and memorable score to life. They moved effortlessly from jazz to blues to folk ballad, reflecting the shifting moods of the play. More opera than musical, the show delivers all the dialogue through song, placing extraordinary demands on the young performers who rose to the challenge admirably. Their acting was convincing and assured, and they expertly conveyed their characters through their movement and dancing as well as through song, whether in the creatively choreographed group numbers such as Why We Build the Wall or in accomplished solos and duets like Come Home With Me and Hey, Little Songbird.
Lucinda Musson as Hermes acted as our narrator and guide with maturity and poise, from the opening number Road to Hell, staying at all times in character as she watched the action unfold inexorably. Also commenting on proceedings as well as captivating and enthralling the central characters were the Fates, marvellously co-ordinated but clearly differentiated in terms of personality by Caitlyn Hampson, Seren Kirkpatrick and Scarlet Brophy. Orpheus was played by Rosie Bullough, who brought out the youth’s naivete and idealism beautifully, and we felt sympathy for both him and Eurydice, acted by Alexis Wilson, whose vulnerability was palpable. Their relationship was convincing and moving. Kathryn Harris’s portrayal of Persephone was full of sass and attitude, as she swept onto the scene, hip flask in hand, and her transformation to disillusionment and numbness while in the underworld was clever and convincing. Samantha Winstanley brought to her role as Hades great presence and strength as a despotic ruler; she also conveyed his changing emotions powerfully, especially when he fell under the spell of Orpheus’s song. The Chorus (Allysandra Pataray, Izzy Bullough, Lucy Morris and Polly Davies) showed remarkable versatility in their singing and movement, for example their miming of building the wall in Hadestown.
There were many memorable aspects of this dynamic show, including the welcome reprises of songs such as Way Down Hadestown and Wait for Me, and how the story started over again at the end, reminding us that the Greek myths were a way to explain the turning seasons and the cycle of life. Hadestown was a complete theatrical experience, entertaining and intriguing the audience, making them laugh and moving them to tears, and leaving them pondering the nature and power of love in a harsh world.
Congratulations to the Musical Director Heather Daykin, to James Barclay for Sound and Lighting, to Choreographer Emily Lally and to Leandra Lawler who directed this talented young cast, helping them to create such a powerful piece of theatre.