If you've ever seen a National Theatre production, you understand the high standards their cast and crew set for innovation and excellence. Hadestown is no exception for the National Theatre's track record of visually stunning shows that make it to the West End and ultimately triumph. When I sit down to enjoy a show, no matter the company, my brain is always reeling with the possibilities; what will the creative team present to us tonight? What is going to strike me through the heart and leave me thinking about it long after the curtain call? The artistic choices that the team on Hadestown made to communicate the synopsis, the depth of characters, and the visual journey of Eurydice and Orpheus from Hell and back all determine whether or not the audience feels it was successful.
The visual story accelerated after the first thirty minutes of the show, with the beginning being a bit slow visually. It took me some time to get into the rhythm of the narrative and how the production's pacing truly felt. Once I found it, however, I was captivated; the energy through Persephone and Hades' narrative pulled me in and kept me there. The set is fairly simple and is mostly static, with a small change in the middle of the show. There is a live band, separated into two sections, making it feel like a New Orleans Square jazz club. The use of lighting in this space is brilliant; you hardly notice that the set rarely changes, because you are moved into and out of each scene by clever prop and lighting delivery. I particularly enjoyed the employment of lighted props such as lamps that swung from cords that ended up integrating into the set organically through the end of the first act. In one of the final scenes, Eurydice and Orpheus make the legendary journey out of the Underworld, where they are tested time and time again. The National Theatre doesn't need expensive props or giant displays to communicate this journey. Instead, the use of fog, darkness, and three subtle oil lamps were enough to show the audience the harrowing strength it took to leave the Underworld. Moments like this make the audience remember the production. It stays with you, the sights and sounds and the thickness of mist in the air.
As a costume designer and maker, I am always focusing on what the characters are wearing first and foremost. The storyline is alleged to be a modern, industrial interpretation of the timeless Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, intertwined with the myth of Eurydice and Orpheus. The designer Michael Krass aimed to have the audience resonate with American Mythos and contemporary culture as much as they recognised the Ancient Greek origins. They are meant to be a fashionable and modern take on the Underworld firstly. In the designer's analysis, he looked for visual indicators of style during periods of conservatism in the United States. The narrative is incredibly resonant of age-old issues of Nationalism and politics, such as in "Why We Build The Wall"; it is prevalent even today in modern United States history. Do the costumes effectively communicate this? Personally, I find them to be missing that mark. As I watched, the costumes felt like they were trying to find their place in the world they occupied, and they didn't look like a "second skin" on the actors. I yearned for a visual connection with the costumes, and found that I could not relate their clothing to the journey the characters were embarking on. Particularly with Eurydice, it felt pedestrian. I also felt Krass was successful in being able to place the narrative as "anything, set anywhere, at any time" (Fierberg 3), but that was part of the problem; it didn't have something to return to that was recognisable and relatable enough. Coming away from the show, I wanted a higher level of relation to the characters; I wanted them to embody their clothing, really live in it, and not have the clothing wear them. It was challenging to form an emotional bond with the characters because despite the narrative, the music, and what I was seeing on set, I felt the costumes didn't quite communicate the true depth of the characters.
Hadestown is undoubtedly another visually striking, creatively approached production from the National Theatre. Its greatest strength is its immersive atmosphere and beautiful narrative, which is only slightly undermined by its costume design. While the opportunity has come and gone to fully realise the potential of its costumes, Hadestown still reigns. When the Chips are Down, they're Livin' It Up On Top.
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