46 THEATRE F ew stories have stood the reappears throughout these tales: Heracles – also known as Hercules in the Roman translation – a divine hero and son of Zeus. test of time like those of Greek mythology. One such character Though his story can be traced to Neolithic times, Hercules rose to pop culture fame in 1997 when Disney adapted the ancient myth into an animated film. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, and with music by legendary composer Alan Menken, the movie-musical follows the titular Herc, who’s been raised among mortals, as he attempts to reclaim his god status and join his family in Mount Olympus. Though not an immediate hit, Disney’s Hercules has amassed a cult following in the 28 years since its release. Combining Greek mythology with screwball comedy, the film borrows its visual style from ancient sculpture, illustration and architecture. It also came complete with certified bangers like I Won’t Say (I’m in Love) , Zero to Hero and Go the Distance . Nearly three decades on, following the commercial successes of on-stage adaptations for The Lion King , Aladdin and Frozen , Hercules has officially jumped from page to screen to stage, now hitting the West End’s Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Overseen by Disney Theatrical Group and directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, the production had its work cut out. So how do you bring the gods down to Earth? SETTING THE STAGE With any adaptation, there’s a balance to be struck: sticking to the existing IP – but not too closely. For the creative team behind the musical Disney’s Hercules , this was addressed very early on. “I’ve seen the movie, and it’s great, but we didn’t want to just recreate that,” reveals lighting designer Jeff Croiter. “That’s not what we were doing.”
Video designer George Reeve, whose credits also include productions of Frozen , Tarzan , Aladdin and Mary Poppins , ultimately chose to go with a Greek-inspired mosaic style for the show’s backdrop – a look that strays from the original film’s animation while maintaining its ancient aesthetic. The tiles shapeshift in real time to transport audiences from the Underworld to Earth to Mount Olympus within seconds. For lighting, “I didn’t lean into the original at all, really. There were moments when I was looking for an idea or was curious about something, so I looked at a couple of stills from the movie,” Croiter admits – but that was all. For him, the guiding questions were, “What are we seeing? Where are we looking? What’s the time of day? How is Mount Olympus different from the Underworld?” He continues: “There’s an answer in lighting for every moment of the show.” According to Croiter, the early conversations revolved around the show’s overall goals rather than one specific facet of the production. “It’s a very big show with a lot of moving parts, and the goal is to bring something to the people sitting in the seats – to make them laugh, cry, smile or feel something, and to entertain them for however long we have them in captivity,” he jokes. “We are delivering a show and, lighting-wise, I always try to enhance that storytelling.” While now enjoying its West End run, Hercules was previously touring in Hamburg, Germany, at the Stage Theatre Neue Flora. But when it moved to Drury Lane, Disney asked Olivier Award- winning sound designer Adam Fisher ( Sunset Boulevard , Evita , Into the Woods ) to come on board. “The main note was
Renovations to Drury Lane had created ‘distinct audio zones’, which posed a significant challenge for sound designer Adam Fisher
that the creators wanted to feel the music, as well as hear it – making it a kind of visceral experience,” he shares. Joining an already-established production means “coming into a team that’s already settled,” Fisher says. “You’re trying to play a bit of catch-up. Taking over on a show, you try to find out why they were looking to go a different way.” From set design to costuming to, of course, sound and lighting, Hercules is a visually and sonically striking show from start to finish. Fisher went with a sound system more akin to a live concert, while Croiter amped up the brightness. “It might be one of the brightest shows ever on a West End stage,” he suggests. “I didn’t ever want to see someone sitting in the audience and squinting. It’s all delivered into the audience’s lap.” LIVING ON DRURY LANE The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane – which was renovated in 2013 for its 350th anniversary and again in 2020 – houses an audience of just under 2000, spread
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