As autumn approaches and the seasons begin to shift, there is change of another kind brewing beneath the streets of London. This September, the underworld of Hadestown welcomes a brand-new cast to the Lyric Theatre, bringing together an eclectic mix of West End talent, classical opera, screen acting and chart-topping pop.
The Tony® and Grammy Award-winning musical, which has captivated audiences with its atmospheric retelling of two ancient love stories, will see an exciting new line-up step into the roles of some of its most recognisable characters.
Leading the new cast is internationally renowned soprano Danielle de Niese, who takes on the role of Persephone. One of opera’s most acclaimed performers, de Niese has appeared with leading companies and orchestras around the world, while her work as a broadcaster has introduced classical music to new audiences. Earlier this year, she was awarded the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, making her arrival in the underworld an especially exciting one.
Joining her as Hades is acclaimed screen and stage actor Shaun Dooley. With an extensive list of television and film credits including Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, It’s a Sin, Broadchurch, The Stranger and Saltburn, Dooley has also built an impressive theatre career, most recently appearing in Jez Butterworth’s The Hills of California, directed by Sam Mendes.
Stepping into the role of Eurydice is Fayth Ifil, who made her West End debut at just ten years old. Since then, she has established herself as a rising force on the London stage, appearing in Tina – The Tina Turner Musical and Just For One Day. Her arrival as Eurydice sees one of the West End’s emerging leading performers take on one of the musical’s most emotionally complex roles.
Malinda Parris will take on the role of Hermes, following an already impressive West End career that has included The Greatest Showman, Hercules, & Juliet, Little Big Things, Mary Poppins, Matilda, Caroline, or Change, The Light Princess and Parade.
Completing the principal cast is Nathan Sykes as Orpheus. Best known internationally as a member of chart-topping pop group The Wanted, Sykes has since carved out a successful solo career. His casting brings another musical dimension to a production renowned for blending different musical traditions and genres.
The new principals will join Melanie Bright, Spike Maxwell and Lauran Rae as the Fates, alongside Femi Akinfolarin, Michelle Andrews, Gabriela Benedetti, Ollie Bingham and Sebastian Lim-Seet as the Workers. Juan Jackson, Oisín Nolan-Power, Lindo Shinda, Jasmine Triadi and Milly Willows complete the new company as Swings.
At the heart of Hadestown are two mythic love stories: young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and the more complicated relationship between Hades and Persephone. Their stories collide in a theatrical world where the boundaries between the living and the dead, love and loss, hope and despair are constantly shifting.
Written by Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell and directed by Tony® Award-winner Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown has become known for its distinctive musical landscape, bringing together indie folk, pop, blues and New Orleans-inspired jazz. What began as Mitchell’s indie theatre project and acclaimed album has grown into a genre-defying musical that continues to find new audiences around the world.
Now, as one season gives way to another, a new company gets the chance to make the underworld their own.
With an internationally acclaimed soprano taking on Persephone, a celebrated screen actor descending as Hades, a rising West End star as Eurydice, a seasoned musical theatre performer as Hermes and a pop star taking the journey as Orpheus, this latest chapter promises a fresh take on a story that has always been about cycles, change and finding hope in the darkest of places.
Hadestown is currently playing at London’s Lyric Theatre.
For tickets and further information, visit the official Hadestown website.