Hercules - Theatre Royal Drury Lane: The Muses Are The Moment

⭑ ⭑ ⭑ ⭑ - 77% • 3 minutes 23 seconds read time

The moment those first familiar notes hit, you’re right back in the 90s - the Disney VHS tapes, big ballads, and outrageous animated sass. Hercules the Musical at Theatre Royal Drury Lane leans all the way into that nostalgia, and it absolutely delivers. It’s a feel-good, family-first, high-energy spectacle, drenched in colour, camp, and vocals that will leave you smiling from ear to ear.

Luke Brady as Hercules is such a smart bit of casting. He’s got this brilliant boyish charm that lends itself perfectly to a character who’s completely lost. Hercules is a man so physically strong, people assume he couldn’t possibly need anything - but Brady shows us the ache underneath. The longing for belonging is there in every note, every beat. It’s tender, warm, and deeply relatable. A proper leading man, without ever losing his softness.

Trevor Dion Nicholas is, frankly, a legend. Already a Disney Musicals icon for originating the Genie in Aladdin for UK audiences, here he’s just as big, bold and brilliant as Phil. He’s cheeky, loud, endlessly likeable, and his comic timing is bang on the money. The rapport between him and Brady is a highlight - there’s a lovely warmth between them that makes the mentor-mentee arc sing. And when he opens Act 2? A complete riot. Just heaps of fun.

Mae Ann Jorolan is a knockout as Meg. Sass and assurance, but with an undercurrent of sadness and loneliness that it lands with real weight. She’s effortlessly cool throughout, and her vocals on I Won’t Say I’m in Love are absolutely ridiculous. She nails it without ever losing the character’s edge.

But to be frank: the muses are the whole moment. They steal the show. In fact, they make the show. Brianna Ogunbawo, Malinda Parris, Sharlene Hector, Robyn Rose-Li, and Candace Furbert - I bow at the altar. They’re the backbone, the heart, the rhythm, and the soul. The sisterhood, the playful camaraderie, the costume and hair changes, the comedy, the confidence, the attitude – it’s all sensational. And vocally? Behave yourself. It’s outrageous. So tight, so perfectly blended, if you’re a fan of the film version of their songs, you will certainly not be disappointed.

Design-wise, the show is a total visual treat. I adored the costume design, loved the hair and makeup – special shout out to the hair design for Medusa, who looked phenomenal – and the Zero to Herocostumes are remarkable. Huge applause to Gregg Barnes and Sky Swister for the costume design, and whoops and cheers for Mia M. Neal, and Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche for the wigs, hair, and make up. All of their work is utterly joyous, with so much detail and flair, they pop off the stage. There’s a vibrancy to it all that really leans into the campy, heightened world of Hercules without tipping into parody. The movement of the staging and set pieces adds another layer of dynamism – the whole thing flows beautifully. Nothing ever feels static; it’s always moving, building, lifting, dancing.

Now look – is it perfect? No. The book is a little thin in places, it’s missing pegasus, and there are definitely moments where it veers from high-standard family musical into high-budget panto territory. But honestly? That’s not a deal-breaker. Because this isn’t trying to be cutting-edge musical theatre. It knows exactly what it is – a vibrant, joyful, family-friendly show that leaves kids spellbound and grown-ups grinning.

Sure, I could break down the technical styling choices I loved, or pinpoint where the writing could punch a bit harder. But I’m not reviewing for other reviewers. The people who are thinking about bringing their kids to this show aren’t coming to a review for a dramaturgical analysis.

They want to know:

• Is it family friendly?

• Is it a spectacle to consume?

• Are the vocals going to blow my kids away?

Yes, yes, and yes.

If you’re a grown adult hoping for deep existential answers, or the meaning of life from a Disney musical, you’re probably not going to find them here. If you’re a critic hoping that a Disney musical is going to provide you with high intellectual art, you also aren’t going to find it here. And that’s fine. Because this show isn’t really about you. It’s about the kids in the audience – all of them, but importantly, the black and brown kids in the audience, who get to see themselves as heroes, muses, trainers, and icons. That might not change your life – but it might just change the trajectory of theirs.

It would be disingenuous to say this show doesn’t have heart. It does. Maybe it’s not in the book, but it is there in the cast, giving it their all for the audience it is meant for. Heart and soul.

And that’s the Gospel Truth.