Discover the myths that inspired Hadestown
Hadestown brings ancient Greek mythology to the stage, blending timeless stories with powerful, contemporary music. At the heart of the show are five unforgettable characters – Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades, Persephone and Hermes – whose mythic journeys shape the emotional core of the musical. Below, we explore who these figures are in Greek mythology and how they’re portrayed in the show.
Orpheus – The musician who dares to change fate
In Greek myth, Orpheus is known for his extraordinary musical talent – a poet whose song could soften stone and tame the wild. In Hadestown, Orpheus is portrayed as a dreamer and composer whose music holds the potential to bring spring back to a broken world.
Hermes is also a man in love. When Eurydice is taken to the underworld, Orpheus risks everything to bring her back, embarking on a journey where doubt and belief collide.
Eurydice – Searching for shelter in a harsh world
Eurydice is often a quiet figure in myth, but Hadestown gives her agency. She’s a survivor – strong, determined, and pragmatic. She faces hunger, hardship, and the threat of being forgotten.
Tempted by the promise of safety in Hadestown, she chooses security over struggle, a decision that sets Orpheus’ journey in motion. Her story is one of choice, consequence, and the human need for hope.
Hades – Ruler of the underworld and builder of walls
Hades is the god of the underworld – but in Hadestown, he’s also a powerful industrialist, ruling over a fortress built on fear and control. He promises order and protection, but his world runs on silence and submission.
Hermes is both captor and husband to Persephone, struggling with love and power. His character brings tension to the show’s core themes of freedom, choice, and the price of safety.
Persephone – Queen of the underworld, goddess of spring
Persephone lives between two worlds – above ground with sunlight and wine, and below in Hadestown. In myth, she spends half the year in the underworld, marking the change of seasons. In Hadestown, her return each spring brings colour and energy.
She is joyful but restless, playful yet furious. Her relationship with Hades reflects the shifting balance between freedom and responsibility, summer and winter, life and death.
Hermes – Messenger of the Gods
Hermes moves between the worlds too – but freely, between Olympus, the mortal realm and the underworld. In Hadestown, Hermes is the storyteller who’s seen it all before and tells it anyway, hoping this time it ends differently.
Hermes is wise but weary, warm yet knowing. Hermes’s role as narrator and guide reflects the balance between hope and fate, the thread that connects every telling of the story to the next.
These aren’t just myths – they’re stories still being told
Hadestown doesn’t just retell ancient mythology. It reimagines it through music, emotion, and a modern lens. Each character’s journey reflects universal truths – love, sacrifice, survival – making the underworld feel closer than ever. It’s the perfect entry point for fans of Greek myth, as well as those discovering these timeless stories for the first time.
See them come to life on stage
Book Hadestown tickets now and experience the award-winning musical live at London’s Lyric Theatre.
