Lead casting has now been revealed for the musical Hercules, which will open in the West End at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane next summer. Performances will begin on 6th June 2025.
Luke Brady will take on the title role in the musical. His previous stage credits include SuperYou (Lyric Theatre), As You Like It (RSC), The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre), Twelfth Night, The Merchant of Venice, Assassins (Chichester Theatre), and The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare’s Globe). Brady has also appeared on screen in Murder on the Orient Express and Fresh Meat.
Hercules features music by Alan Menken and lyrics by David Zippel, and has a book by Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah, while renowned Broadway director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw will direct the production.
The new and much-anticipated musical is based on the classic 1997 Disney animated movie and follows the fortunes of Hercules, a demigod with super-human strength and the son of Zeus, who must become a hero in his own right to earn his place on Mount Olympus.
A talented creative team making things work behind the scenes for the production will include set designer Dane Laffrey, video designer George Reeve, make-up by Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche, lighting designer Jeff Croiter, costume designers Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser, co-choreographer Tanisha Scott, hair by Mia M. Neal, special effects from Jeremy Chernick, sound designer Adam Fisher, and music supervisor and arranger Michael Kosarin, dance arrangements by David Chase with orchestrations from Danny Troob and Joseph Joubert.
Commenting on the production, Alan Menken said, “Hercules was thrilling when I was first working on it in the mid-90s and has only grown more exciting and amazing with each passing adaptation. The new songs David Zippel and I have added for our upcoming production in London, have deepened the emotional impact and further developed the stylistic panache. The humor and overall message of the script by Robert Horn and Kwame Kwei-Armah have brought our story to wonderful new heights and supercharged the underlying message of this story. And, when it comes to bringing all of this to life on stage, there’s no one even close to Casey Nicholaw in creating theatrical magic. I can’t wait for audiences to experience our new Hercules!”
Kwame Kwei-Armah said, “Robert and I have had such a joyous time learning about each other and laughing together as we have shaped the story for the musical, and that gets right into the DNA of what this show is: laughter, love, and a quest for self-discovery that offers so much for audiences of all ages.”
David Zippel added, “It’s an absolute joy to revisit Hercules which was a glorious collaboration with Alan back in the late 90s. Adapting the film for the stage is the chance to build on the wit and action of the animation, then expand and deepen the characters via new songs, creating something new and exciting for the West End.”
Robert Horn also commented, “What an honour it is to work with this amazing team on this new stage incarnation of the beloved and highly anticipated title Hercules. Kwame and I could not be more excited to bring our very different and unified styles of comedy and storytelling to this magical, mythical tale. And with this iconic score! We hope you’ll laugh and feel all the feels watching it as much as we did working together on it. We laughed so hard, we both got abs. We’re thrilled to present to you this gloriously heartwarming and hysterical story of heroism, community, cool togas, and fabulous divas!”
Casey Nicholaw added, “In a search that took us across the globe, we have found our perfect hero in Luke, and I look forward to working with him over the coming months to develop the much-loved character of Hercules. We can’t wait for him to lift the roof at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.”
Further casting will be announced in due course.
Address
Catherine Street, London, WC2B 5JF
Venue Facilities
Air conditioned
Nearest Tube
Covent Garden
Tube Lines
Piccadilly
Directions from nearest tube
(5mins) Go right on Long Acre; turn right into Bow Street and after 100 metres it will be on your left in Russell Street/Catherine Street.
Railway Station
Charing Cross
Bus Numbers
(Aldwych) 6, 11, 13, 23, 59, 68, 87, 171, 172, 188, RV1, X68
Night Bus Numbers
(Aldwych) 6, 23, 188, N11, N13, N26, N47, N68, N87, N89, N155, N171, N551
Car Park
Drury Lane, Parker Street (5mins)
Within Congestion Zone
Yes
The Theatre Royal Drury Lane is a large West End theatre that has a capacity of 1993 seats. Several different price bands are available throughout the theatre with a wide range of excellent and unobstructed views while also allowing patrons to exploit the cut-off points of the price bands to secure maximum value for money.
Due to the vast size of the venue, some sections can feel a little distant from the stage, however, the stage itself is 22 metres deep, and the seats further back in the Stalls section let you take everything in. The centre seats in the Stalls offer a hugely immersive experience without any restrictions and are considered Premium seats which are reflected in the price. Sitting in the front of the Royal Circle gives the best overall view of the stage from an elevated position and seats 12-24 are dead-centre and avoid any restrictions that sometimes feature in seats towards the ends of rows.
The seats in the Balcony section at this theatre are always the cheapest and offer good value for money although due to the size of the venue, they are very high up and possibly not suitable for those suffering from vertigo. Sitting near the front centre does provide an excellent and unobstructed view of the stage allowing you to absorb the atmosphere of this amazing and iconic theatre. These seats can also often have an equally good view and be better priced than those in the Grand Circle for patrons on a budget looking to secure cheap tickets to Disney's Hercules or looking for lastminute shows in London.