Musicals Meets... Sarah Crompton (Hadestown special)

For this Musicals Meets Podcast, Sarah Kirkup talks to Sarah Crompton, one of Britain's most respected writers and broadcasters, about the new production of Hadestown which has just premiered at the Lyric Theatre in the West End. Crompton is a huge fan of the show, having previously seen the UK production at the National Theatre and reviewing it favourably for WhatsOnStage. She recently wrote a fascinating feature on the new West End production for the current issue of Musicals magazine.

Blending modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz, the music for Hadestown is written by the acclaimed Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell. Mitchell originated Hadestown as an indie theatre project and acclaimed album before transforming the show into a genre-defying new musical alongside Tony Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin.

How has the show been reinvented this time around? What aspects work particularly well, and which performers stand out? The two Sarahs meet to discuss the production in detail.