Hadestown Teen Edition

Hadestown is a demanding sung-through musical, retelling the Greek myths of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone. It is a brave choice for a student company aged between 16 and 19, because the story has to be carried through song, movement and atmosphere rather than spoken dialogue. For an audience member unfamiliar with the musical, the plot can be a little difficult to follow at times, as there is so little dialogue between numbers. However, the company kept the storytelling moving, and the pacing between the 32 songs was handled consistently and confidently.

The acting was strong across the company. Nico Blackledge gave Orpheus a gentle sincerity and created a believable young man driven by hope, love and music. There was a lovely honesty in his performance, and he carried the character’s idealism without making him feel naive or weak. Magdalena Saniuk brought emotional truth to Eurydice, showing both her strength and vulnerability. Alice McCrone was a clear and assured Hermes, guiding the audience through the story with confidence. Marvellous Williams gave Hades authority and control, while Isabel Kitchen’s Persephone had energy, colour and an underlying sadness.

Ellie-Mae Hudson, Ella Wilcock and Trystan Cummings worked well together as The Fates. They created a watchful presence and understood the importance of stillness, timing and expression. Their acting added tension to the story, and they never overplayed the roles, which made them feel more unsettling.

One of the most impressive aspects of the acting was the way the cast remained in character even when they were not directly involved in the main action. The amphitheatre is an unusual space, with no wings or traditional backstage area, so the performers were often visible for long periods. The Workers were placed around the walls of the amphitheatre, building, cleaning and labouring, and they maintained focus throughout. Georgia Taylor, Hannah Walmsley, Jessica Francis-Walmsley, Katie Glover, Maze Howson, Mia Barnes, Storm Nick Bleasdale, Addie Sandham, Amy Churchill, Casey-Marie Martin, Crissy Nagy, David Bury, Ella Graham, Emily Chadwick, Ethan Brown and Evie Mortimer all helped create the world of Hadestown with discipline and commitment.

Vocally, this was a strong achievement for a young cast. Hadestown requires stamina, accuracy and emotional control, and the leads handled the material well. Nico Blackledge deserves particular mention for his vocal work as Orpheus. The role sits in a challenging place vocally and emotionally, needing a lightness and purity of tone, as well as enough strength to lead the audience through Orpheus’s hope and heartbreak. Nico handled this sensitively, and his singing had a clear, expressive quality that suited the character. He managed to make the music feel personal rather than simply performed.

Magdalena Saniuk gave Eurydice a clear emotional voice, particularly in the moments where the character is caught between love, fear and survival. Alice McCrone’s Hermes was vocally secure and helped anchor the story. Marvellous Williams brought strength and depth to Hades, while Isabel Kitchen gave Persephone warmth and personality. The ensemble singing had impact, especially in the larger company numbers. There were occasional moments when some vocals were harder to hear, but this was understandable in an outdoor venue.

The production used playback, which was of a high standard. The cast worked confidently with it, and the sound balance was generally good. Rachael Soar’s musical direction gave the company a secure foundation, which is essential in a sung-through show where there is little time to reset between numbers. The performers moved from song to song with control, and the score’s mix of folk, blues, jazz and musical theatre styles came through clearly.

The choreography and movement were among the strongest elements of the production. Daniel Mason created movement that supported the story and gave the show a clear visual identity. With so many songs, the staging could easily have begun to feel repetitive, but the movement remained varied and purposeful. There was a considerable amount of physical theatre, and the cast committed to it fully. Considering the rough and damp outdoor surfaces, the dropping, climbing, crawling and physical work required focus and stamina. The Workers’ repeated building and cleaning of the wall became a strong visual image and helped establish the harsh world of Hadestown.

Daniel Mason’s direction was bold and stylised. The production stayed true to the original spirit of the musical while making full use of the amphitheatre. Although this was a young company tackling mature material, the emotional weight came through. The themes of love, poverty, power, doubt and hope were treated with care. The use of physical theatre strengthened the production and made the world feel active and lived in. The direction trusted the students with difficult material, and they rose to the challenge.

The staging and blocking made excellent use of the outdoor space. Performers appeared around the audience, on the walls, across the main playing area and on the scaffolding levels. This created an immersive experience and helped the audience feel part of the world of the show. Key moments were staged clearly, and the company used the different levels and entrances with confidence.

The amphitheatre itself provided a natural setting for Hadestown. The stone walls, open-air surroundings and central playing space suited the industrial and mythic world of the piece. The added scaffolding levels on either side of the stage gave height and variety, while props such as ladders and barrels were used well and felt appropriate. The design choices were simple but effective, allowing the performers and the space to do much of the work.

There is also something special about seeing Hadestown in a space with its own sense of history. Preston College’s amphitheatre was built in 1987 and later underwent renovation work carried out by the College’s students, tutors and Estates and Facilities team, helping to bring the outdoor theatre back into use as a performance venue. That history added to the atmosphere of the evening. Hadestown is a story about old myths being retold, about people gathering to hear a tale that has been told many times before, and the amphitheatre suited that beautifully. The circular, open-air shape made the production feel communal, almost ritualistic, as though the audience were gathered around the story rather than simply watching it from a distance. With the stone, the height, the trees and the exposed outdoor setting, the venue gave the production a scale and texture that would have been very difficult to create in a conventional black-box theatre. For this particular musical, with its mixture of ancient myth, industrial labour and underworld atmosphere, the amphitheatre was not just a venue; it became part of the storytelling.

The costumes by Rachael Soar were well chosen. With such a large cast, it was pleasing that no one looked identical, yet the production still had a clear overall style. The shared brown work boots worn by many of the cast were a clever touch, linking the Workers together without making them uniform. The colour palette of blues, greens, browns and earth tones suited the outdoor setting and helped the cast blend naturally into the world of the amphitheatre. Hair and make-up by Lisa Anderson, Rachael Soar and CMTA supported the characters without distracting from the performances.

Sound, managed by technical manager Declan Murray was well handled, particularly given the outdoor setting. The playback was clear, and the use of head microphones helped most of the vocals carry. There were a few moments where words were less clear, but overall the sound was stronger than I have heard in some indoor amateur productions. There appeared to be no lighting. At the start, this was not a major issue, but as the evening grew darker and the weather remained damp and dull, some lighting would have helped the atmosphere. Even a small amount of cool colour or focused illumination could have added depth to the underworld scenes and supported key emotional moments. I understand the limits of a youth production in an outdoor venue, but a little lighting would have lifted the atmosphere further.

Hadestown relies heavily on a strong ensemble, because the Workers are central to the world of the show rather than simply background characters. This company understood that. Georgia Taylor, Hannah Walmsley, Jessica Francis-Walmsley, Katie Glover, Maze Howson, Mia Barnes, Storm Nick Bleasdale, Addie Sandham, Amy Churchill, Casey-Marie Martin, Crissy Nagy, David Bury, Ella Graham, Emily Chadwick, Ethan Brown and Evie Mortimer worked with focus and discipline. Nobody appeared to overact or simply mime movement. Each performer seemed to understand their place in the story, which speaks well of both the cast and the direction.

The pace and rhythm were well managed. Songs blended smoothly into one another, and the company kept the momentum moving. This is essential in a sung-through musical, where uncertain transitions can quickly affect the flow. The performers maintained their energy and concentration throughout, which is not easy in a show of this length.

The emotional impact came from the combination of music, movement and commitment from the cast. Hadestown explores love, trust, doubt, power, work and the need to keep hoping even when the outcome may already be known. These themes came through clearly. The Workers’ physical labour around the amphitheatre helped show the pressure and control of Hades’ world. The relationship between Orpheus and Eurydice was tender, helped greatly by Nico Blackledge and Magdalena Saniuk’s believable connection. Hades and Persephone added another layer of sadness and tension. The final moments were delivered with maturity and restraint.

The audience were engaged and enjoyed the performance. The immersive staging helped draw them into the story, especially when cast members moved in and around the audience. It was a long evening to sit outdoors on stone steps, but the audience stayed with the company, which says a great deal about the strength of the performance.

Overall, this was an ambitious and successful production from Preston College. Hadestown would challenge many adult companies, so this young cast should be proud of what they achieved. Daniel Mason, Rachael Soar, Declan Murray and the wider production team created a clear, atmospheric and committed piece of theatre. The students gave a focused and heartfelt performance, and the result was a memorable evening in a unique setting.

 

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