Thetford Players Youth earned praise for their production of Hadestown: Teen Edition, which brought powerful vocals, imaginative staging and a talented young cast to The Carnegie.
If you’ve seen the hit West End production of Hadestown, you’ll know that bringing the show to a smaller stage while maintaining the same powerful vocal performances is no easy feat. Thetford Players Youth rose to the challenge with Hadestown: Teen Edition and absolutely smashed it with an impressive performance at The Carnegie last month.
Directed by the team behind 2024’s SIX Teen Edition, Lynne Jeffries, Rowan-Charlotte Jeffries and Nadia Graversen brought the mythological stories of Orpheus and Eurydice, and Hades and Persephone, to life in a tale of love, loss and courage. With a nod to the West End production, the costumes, lighting and effects provided the perfect backdrop for this fast-paced show. A clever twist to the staging was the use of a doorway as a gateway to Hadestown.
Hadestown: Teen Edition saw three new company members join the group. Lydia MacDonald (Orpheus), Aubrey Haye (Eurydice) and Solomon Jones (Hades) performed alongside established members Summer-Brooke Harvey (Persephone), Imogen Graves (Hermes) and the three Fates – Emily Mortimer, Lexi Brien and Ebony Bailey.
The cast not only commanded the stage with their powerful vocals but also immersed themselves in their characters. Their performances were complemented by a strong supporting ensemble, bringing energy and depth to the production. With a strong nod to the West End version, the young cast made the production their own. Their Hadestown: Teen Edition was a testament to the dedication, teamwork and passion that went into bringing this much-loved show to life.
Speaking about her experience, Summer-Brooke Harvey said: “Persephone was awesome; the vibes were electric. We’ve been in rehearsal for so long, so to get on stage has been insane.”
For Summer-Brooke, one of the highlights was learning more about the plot and understanding why Anaïs Mitchell wrote the story as she did. She said: “It was an empowering character to play. Persephone continues to stand up for what she believes in. She’s resilient and inspires me.”
Hadestown: Teen Edition is a demanding show, with many cast members on stage for much of the performance. This is particularly true of Hermes (Imogen Graves), who provides the backbone to the story as its narrator. Just to add to her workload, Imogen was also the Assistant Choreographer.
Reflecting on the cast’s achievements, director Lynne Jeffries said: “Wow – just wow! They are an amazing group of young people; they have blown us away at each rehearsal. Rowan and Nadia made the magic come alive.”
Lynne also praised Junior Director Emily Mortimer, whose in-depth knowledge of Hadestown made her the in-house resident expert, helping to keep the cast on track and connected to the story.
“Thank you to the cast and thank you to everyone who has supported youth theatre.”
Ebony Bailey, one of the Fates, researched the West End production and its portrayal of the trio. She said: “I loved the Fates; they are so cool, and that it was all singing; singing is my go-to. It was a difficult rehearsal process, getting our heads around the harmonies and choreography, but the result was so worth it.”
With powerful vocals, compelling performances and a talented young cast rising to the demands of a challenging musical, Thetford Players Youth delivered a production that demonstrated just how much can be achieved on a smaller stage.
Thetford Players will return with their annual panto on 22nd, 23rd, 29th and 30th January. Tickets are now on sale at thetfordplayers.co.uk, and don’t forget to enter About Thetford’s panto competition!
