Review: OPRHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD at Artscape Opera House

Cape Town City Ballet's ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD, currently on at the Artscape Opera House, is hilarious and gorgeous, much like the 1920s setting it inhabits.

Veronica Paeper's choreography, originally conceived in 1982, is a clever mix of classical ballet, modern dance and physical comedy, accessible and spectacular in equal measure. The music, specially arranged by Michael Tuffin, was beautifully performed by the Cape Town Philharmonic under the enthusiastic baton of Brandon Phillips, supporting the dancers admirably throughout.

The costumes, designed by Peter Cazalet, are wonderfully varied, looking good while clearly working for the dancers practically. It's a dichotomy an experienced Costume Designer would be alert to, but no less satisfying to watch play out on stage. His sets too are out of this world – fittingly, since Act Two takes place on Mount Olympus and Act Three in the underworld – and earned appreciative rounds of applause each time the curtain rose.

Greek myths are everywhere right now: Epic the Musical, the Hadestown proshot, Alan Committie's An Iliad and Magnet Theatre's mAnJE ! MaNJe (an epic) earlier this year. This production joins that wave, but takes its own distinct angle. The story is loosely based on Jacques Offenbach's comic operetta rather than the classic version of the myth: it's a very different take on the Orpheus and Eurydice plotline, and one I loved.

Leusson Muniz's Orpheus is charming and spoiled. In this version he only goes to hell for Eurydice after being bullied into it by the public, and particularly by his histrionic mother, Calliope. He's tall, elegant, light on his feet and entrancing to watch, but doesn't inspire much empathy. That goes instead to Zachary Healy's Pluto whose blatant sexuality and near-permanent half-sneer are mesmerising. Slick and arrogant, the Lord of the Underworld initially seduces Eurydice for his own ends before falling for her, blurring the lines between the Orpheus/Eurydice and Hades/Persephone stories. Hannah Ward as Eurydice is an expressive dancer, carrying both the comedy and the technical demands of her solo and partnered work with ease.

But the real scene-stealers are the background characters. I'd happily watch the show again just to follow the side stories playing out around the edges. I was especially taken with Kirstél Paterson's Calliope and the trio of "elderly gods" (Abdul Isaacs, Likhaya Loyiti and Caesar Elsner) who kept drawing my attention away from the principal dancers (though not in an irritating or distracting way).

Whether you're a classic ballet fan, a comedy lover, a Greek myth buff, or just want a good story well told, this is a show for you.

ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD is showing at the Artscape Opera House until 21 June with tickets from R225.

More on Artscape Opera House

Upcoming Shows

MAMMA MIA!

9/3 - 10/11/2026