Review: DISNEY'S HERCULES, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

“That’s the gospel truth!”

After years in development and several stagings across the globe, Disney’s Hercules has crashed like a lightning bolt into the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The show, with a book by Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah, music by Alan Menken and lyrics by David Zippel, is an adaptation of the 1997 Disney film of the same name, an animated musical that follows the son of Zeus and Hera, Hercules (Luke Brady), as he must earn his rightful place on Mount Olympus and face off against his evil uncle, Hades (Stephen Carlile).  

We are introduced to the world of gods and men through an energetic opening number, with the whole cast giving it their all with some fantastic choreography from Casey Nicholaw (who also directs) and Co-Choreographer Tanisha Scott. It is here we are also introduced to the highlight of the show, which is the Muses - Thalia (Candace Furbet), Clio (Sharlene Hector), Melpomene (Brianna Ogynbawo), Calliope (Malinda Parris), Terpsichore (Robyn Rose-Li). These women act as the Greek Chorus for the show and are so wonderful that their hit song, “The Gospel Truth,” is brought back not once, not twice, not three times, but six times throughout the musical!

From that great start, things are toned down a little bit as we learn more about Hercules, played by a charming Brady who is full of energy but struggles to play the role of the outsider, as it’s difficult to imagine anyone not wanting to be friends with his version of Hercules. Once he learns of his birthright to be on Mount Olympus with his parents, he travels to Medusa’s Tavern to meet Phil (Trevor Dion Nicholas), who is no longer a satyr but a possibly immortal man who is convinced to help train Hercules to become a hero and earn his palace as a god. Nicholas and Brady have a fun dynamic but there isn’t much time to explore it, except in a quick montage of Hercules taking on different tasks as the townspeople cheer him on.

However, there is stormy weather on the horizon, as Hades is determined to kill his nephew and defeat his brother. Hades looks and acts as though Leslie Nielsen (of The Naked Gun and Airplane! fame) had become a cartoon villain, bright white hair and all as he dramatically sweeps his cloak everywhere and monologues about how he will have revenge on Zeus and all of Mount Olympus. He is joined by Megara, or “Meg” (Mae Ann Jorolan), a mortal woman who has given up her soul to Hades for love and now believes that she doesn’t need any man to save her. But, as the plan unfolds, Meg and Hercules begin to fall for one another, making each of them question what their fate might be. 

Obviously, not everything can make it from the screen to the stage, and there are several major changes made in this production. Several characters are cut, including the three Fates, who are replaced by the prophet Tiresias (who makes several appearances in Ancient Greek myths), Pain and Panic, minions of Hades who are strangely replaced by two lackeys named Bob (Craig Gallivan) and Charles (Lee Zarrett), and even my favourite Disney sidekick, Pegasus, who is relegated to a cameo as a topiary bush in a garden. My favourite line from the film - “I’m a damsel, I’m in distress, I can handle this” - is also axed, which is a shame as it is one that gives Meg more agency than what is shown in the musical. 

However, with these cuts, new things are added, as the film’s runtime of an hour and forty minutes is expanded to two hours and ten minutes. Quite a few jokes are added in by Robert Horn, with what feels like dozens within the first scene, including a strange line from Hades about how baby Hercules is “so strong he could be a single mother.” There are also several new songs that have been added to the show, but they are quite forgettable - I can’t remember a single line from one even mere hours after seeing a performance. An unexpected highlight comes during one of the film’s most famous numbers, “Zero to Hero.” Without going into spoilers, it’s truly a great addition to the original and had me dancing in my seat!

Without animation, the creative team has to rely on other ways to bring Ancient Greece to life. The set, designed by Dane Laffrey, has columns that are characters of their own, moving around throughout the show to form different temples and agoras. I did also enjoy the video backgrounds designed by George Reeve, which made the settings look like mosaics - a nice, classical touch. The monsters are mostly with puppets that are a strange mix of incredibly detailed yet cheesy - there is one dinosaur-like dog creature with an impressive face, yet you can clearly see the legs of the performer with no attempt to disguise them.

The costumes, designed by Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser, also look cheap (with the exceptions of those belonging to the Muses), with some ensemble members just wearing basic outfits including patterned leggings and trainers which really don’t belong in the world of Ancient Greece that the show is trying to establish itself in. And there are issues with the sound design as, even though there are truly spectacular vocals, it is difficult to make out the lyrics, which was quite frustrating, especially for new songs. 

Ultimately, Disney’s Hercules is a fun, flashy, yet not-so-faithful adaptation of the original film that lacks the flair and (literal) fire that made the 1997 film so special. It’s an enjoyable theatrical production, but struggles to find the sweet spot between being a silly show for kids and a more adult musical about finding your place in the world. 

Disney’s Hercules is currently running until 28 March 2026 at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

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