Musical theatre superstars Rachel Tucker and Trevor Dion Nicholas are starring in Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell’s Depression-era retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice.
An all-singing version of a Greek myth might not be exactly what you’d expect to find on a West End stage, but Anaïs Mitchell’s Hadestown has had quite the journey of success. This year marked its first West End production, with Dónal Finn, Grace Hodgett Young, Gloria Ontiri, and Zachary James playing the two sets of lovers Orpheus and Eurydice, and Persephone and Hades respectively. The latter two are now played by Wicked star Rachel Tucker and Trevor Dion Nicholas (Next to Normal), who sat down with London Theatre to discuss their characters.
When did you first hear about Hadestown?
Rachel Tucker: I was rehearsing Come From Away on Broadway and I saw the show pre-lockdown. I was absolutely obsessed with it from the start. I was surprised at how relevant it felt to the current moment. It really got me.
Trevor Dion Nicholas: I first saw Hadestown in 2019 on Broadway. I went to watch the show and I fell in love with it. The world was having conversations about Donald Trump and the whole ‘building a wall thing’. It made the show hit even harder. I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Tell me about your characters?
Nicholas: Hades is a complicated man. Of course, he has a bravado that he puts forward. He is King of the Underworld. He has a need and hunger to control everything. I think the character relates very closely to the Hades we know from Greek mythology. His connection with his wife, Persephone, is quite toxic, but I still think they have a lot of love for each other.
Tucker: Persephone feels like an old-fashioned character, in an old-fashioned relationship, in a modern era. She’ll do cleaning, she’ll look after the kids. But, she’s also sold herself a bit short. It is great to play her in the second half when she comes to the realisation that it is not good enough to just be a bystander. I like finding her character arc.
Favourite moment in the show?
Nicholas: I really love the song “How Long?”. It is the only time Rachel and I really just sing to each other.
Tucker: I agree. We’re reaching into each other’s souls during that song and it is a really special moment. I also love doing “Way Down Hadestown” but it is completely and utterly exhausting.
Hadestown comes from a Greek myth, so there is a huge amount of research you could do for your parts. How did you tackle this?
Tucker: I listened to a couple of podcasts that were really great. And I got a book of Greek mythology as a wedding anniversary present a few years ago, so that was very helpful.
Nicholas: It was a bit intimidating. The options for what we could read and do were almost endless. But, I soaked up what I already knew and did some reading. Every interpretation has been different up until now. I think the most important thing was to try and find out the core of these characters.
Hadestown is a much-loved show. Why do you think audiences have related to it so strongly?
Nicholas: A lot of our modern stories still come from Greek mythology. And Hadestown is Greek mythology with some really, really great music. What is not to like?
Tucker: It is a good educational tool as well. It is an epic!
Talented performers such as Gloria Ontiri and Zachary James have previously played your roles. How does it feel to follow in their footsteps?
Tucker: Superb! I try not to approach a role with the weight of everyone who has gone before me. But, I like to think about what I can bring that will take the show into the next stage of its life. So, I’m standing on the shoulders of the people that have already done it, but not fearing their legacy.
Nicholas: People might say “you’ve got big shoes to fill”, but in reality you’ll never be able to fill them. It is better to think of a role takeover as putting new shoes on. I’m coming in behind the incredible Patrick Page and Phillip Boykin, who both played Hades on Broadway. I’ve looked up to their careers for years! It is great to sit alongside them and see how we all play it differently.
Why should people see Hadestown?
Tucker: Originally Hadestown started off as a music concept album, so the songs in this show are so strong. It comes from the brain of a musician through and through.
Nicholas: The music, if nothing else! It is absolutely astonishing. Even if you just sat and listened to the music you’d have the most remarkable experience. But, if you top that off with the effort everyone throws at this show — the band, the connection between everyone onstage — it is like nothing you’ll have ever seen before.
Do you still get nervous?
Tucker: It is different. I get invested. But it always feels important. I was very nervous for our first show because we had such a short rehearsal time.
Nicholas: Yes, for the first show. But, we knew we had each other’s backs. It was a gift to join this company at the end of such a great year.
What do you hope people leave the theatre feeling?
Tucker: Acceptance. And hopefully wanting to be better people.
Nicholas: I think this show really taps into the honesty and difficulty of what it means to love someone for a really long time. I hope people see that.
You can see Rachel Tucker and Trevor Dion Nicholas in Hadestown until 9 February 2025. Book tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk
This article first appeared in the January 2025 issue of London Theatre Magazine.
Photo credit: Rachel Tucker and Trevor Dion Nicholas in Hadestown. (Photo by Marc Brenner)
