Step into a world that’s all too familiar with the Australian production of Anaïs Mitchell’s award-winning musical Hadestown. The show is centred around the blossoming love story between mortals Orpheus and Eurydice, but is supported by the highly compelling rekindling between the god of the Underworld, Hades, and his wife, Persephone. I found it interesting that Hades and Persephone are not an exact reflection of Orpheus and Eurydice, yet still inspire viewers to contemplate the necessity of fighting for love despite its changes over time. Set in a world of poverty, hunger and suffering, Hadestown is all about political rebellion in the name of love.

The cast brought fervent reality to the show’s mythological figures, grounding them in humanity. I went to the evening show on Sunday May 11^th, where understudy Afua Adjei took the stage as Eurydice (who is typically played by Abigail Adriano). Adjei shined in this role, bringing a kind of grit and desperation in Eurydice that I have not really seen in other iterations. This three-dimensionality was complimented by her clarity in tone and enunciation, giving me chills every time she belted. Alongside her was Noah Mullins as Orpheus, whose performance was one full of charm and laughter, his comedic timing alleviating the tragedy of the story. Despite Mullins’ best efforts, I have always found Orpheus to be a very two-dimensional character that is easily outshined by the rest of the ensemble. Throughout the show, Orpheus is either a love-sick puppy, or a crazed artist working on his song, failing to match the more complex facets of Eurydice, who has competing interests that form the basis of her development. This issue is also prevalent when compared to the story of Hades and Persephone, who are already very nuanced characters and are excellently performed by Adrian Tamburini and Elenoa Rokobaro.

Rokobaro became the star of the show every time she stepped on stage, bringing life with even just her presence. Tamburini left me speechless. Easily the best iteration of Hades I have heard or seen, striking fear both in the boots of the “workers” and the audience. In the best way possible, his voice could be clearly heard during all the ensemble parts of the show, creating beautiful musical balance but also a sense of great dread looming over everyone. I must also give my flowers to the fates, played by Sarah Murr, Jennifer Trijo and Imani Williams, whose acapella parts still managed to lead the show with power in the face of a busy stage. Solely based on these performances, I’m already preparing to purchase tickets again!

Narrating the story is the messenger god Hermes, played by Christine Anu. Anu is a strong, witty performer who effectively transports the audience to the world of Hadestown, but I think her performance is ultimately bogged down by the futility of Hermes’ characterisation. The whole point of Hadestown is to get audiences to think about how this epic transcends time and space, but how are audiences expected to do this independently when Hermes is there to hold our hand throughout the show?

The set design of Hadestown was visually stunning, grounding the characters in a desolate, far-off world that echoes the reality of Great Depression America. This is evident in the you-can’t-quite-place, almost-Western, almost-shanty, but clearly derelict bar that backdrops most of the show. I thought that the inability to exactly place what era Hadestown takes place in was a clever creative choice, alluding to the timeless nature of the musical’s story.

Every prop was also clearly created with intention in mind, and no space is wasted on the stage. I won’t say exactly what, to be mindful of spoilers, but I will say that I was completely taken aback by some utilisations of the stage. The set lives and breathes, ultimately being a key character that drives the story forward. Lighting was also used extensively throughout, adding dimension to the set that is especially evident when the audience is left in the dark. Do be warned if you are sitting in the centre—be prepared to squint!

I also thought that having the band on stage was a very nice touch. It brought soul to the performance to see the cast interact with the musicians and vice-versa, as this is very unconventional for musical theatre, but really sets the scene that we are in a bar seeing a group of friends telling a folk tale. Although all the costumes in the show were excellently crafted, especially Persephone’s dresses, I must draw attention to the costumes of the band! I thought this was a very nice detail, with them really fitting in with the visual style of Hadestown and having a sense of casualness that also made their interactions with the show (and audience) seem so lifelike. Like the set, the costumes were not also from a distinct era, but the diversity in how the characters were dressed conveyed a clear divide between rich and poor, stability and desperation, love and detachment.

The Australian production of Hadestown is simply phenomenal. I have no additional comments other than I must see it (and weep) again, and you should too. Don’t miss the train to the underground—see Hadestown before it leaves!