Latest news with #KwameKweiArmah
Asharq Al-Awsat
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Disney Launches Stage Musical 'Hercules' in London
Disney takes London audiences back to Ancient Greece with its new musical "Hercules", bringing alive its 1997 animation on the West End stage. Showing at composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the show is inspired by the much-loved Disney film, itself based on the ancient myth. It follows the titular character and son of Zeus who, upon losing his immortality as a baby due to the plotting Hades, god of the underworld, goes from zero to hero to stop his uncle from taking over. 'It's a myth that reflects contemporary culture and still honors the DNA of (the) animated movie," Robert Horn, who wrote the show's book with Kwame Kwei-Armah, told Reuters late on Tuesday at the musical's press night. "It's its own new thing and yet fans of the movie will absolutely come and recognize it and love it.' Central to the show are the five Muses, who sing their way through the story with energetic gospel-like tunes and plenty of costume changes, Reuters reported. "I think I speak for all of us ... we have idolized these women. We have looked at these women and seen ourselves in times when we weren't really represented," actor Malinda Parris, who plays Calliope, said. "So being able to be that representation for other young girls ... who ... want to be The Muses ... it's living the dream." The show differs from the movie in several ways, including Hercules' mentor, Phil, no longer being a satyr but a taverna owner. 'The main thing is that he still is there ... to love and support Hercules on his journey," actor Trevor Dion Nicholas said. "It really is about building this bond between the two of them that kind of builds this paternal relationship that I think we were able to deepen more so than the animated film was." "Hercules" is the latest Disney stage adaptation in London, showing in the same theatre where the hit show "Frozen" ran up until last year. It features songs written by Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel from the animation, including "Go the Distance" and "Zero to Hero", as well as new tunes.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Disney launches stage musical 'Hercules' in London
LONDON, June 24 (Reuters) - Disney takes London audiences back to Ancient Greece with its new musical "Hercules", bringing alive its 1997 animation on the West End stage. Showing at composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the show is inspired by the much-loved Disney film, itself based on the ancient myth. It follows the titular character and son of Zeus who, upon losing his immortality as a baby due to the plotting Hades, god of the underworld, goes from zero to hero to stop his uncle from taking over. 'It's a myth that reflects contemporary culture and still honours the DNA of (the) animated movie," Robert Horn, who wrote the show's book with Kwame Kwei-Armah, told Reuters late on Tuesday at the musical's press night. "It's its own new thing and yet fans of the movie will absolutely come and recognise it and love it.' Central to the show are the five Muses, who sing their way through the story with energetic gospel-like tunes and plenty of costume changes. "I think I speak for all of us ... we have idolized these women. We have looked at these women and seen ourselves in times when we weren't really represented," actor Malinda Parris, who plays Calliope, said. "So being able to be that representation for other young girls ... who ... want to be The Muses ... it's living the dream." The show differs from the movie in several ways, including Hercules' mentor, Phil, no longer being a satyr but a taverna owner. 'The main thing is that he still is there ... to love and support Hercules on his journey," actor Trevor Dion Nicholas said. "It really is about building this bond between the two of them that kind of builds this paternal relationship that I think we were able to deepen more so than the animated film was." "Hercules" is the latest Disney stage adaptation in London, showing in the same theatre where the hit show "Frozen" ran up until last year. It features songs written by Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken and lyricist David Zippel from the animation, including "Go the Distance" and "Zero to Hero", as well as new tunes.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
The West End's latest musical Hercules is a blast for the under 10s
Disney stage adaptations tend to be conceived with a ruthless eye on the film's pre-existing fanbase. Not so this theatrical version of the 1997 animated riff on the Hercules myth, which is pointedly – and triumphantly – aimed at families with young children rather than the original's numerous disciples. Adaptors Kwame Kwei-Armah, the Young Vic's former artistic director, and Tony award-winning script writer Robert Horn may have made a few transgressive changes, but the fleet footed result has retained the original's goofy knockabout humour and refusal to take itself seriously. Best of all, it boasts a truly heaven sent quintet of Muses who sashay their way through Alan Menken 's still radiant gospel-driven score with just the right amount of sass to make your average tween squeal in delight. The bad news for the purists is that the several significant tweaks will leave them howling in outrage. Several key characters, including the mighty Titans and Hercules's dim but loyal equine friend Pegasus, have been excised. Panic and Pain, the demonic shapeshifters on team Hades, are now a couple of deadbeat blokes called Bob and Charles. The irritable satyr Philoctetes is now a world weary, very human waiter. Most unforgivably for the film's fans, Hades struts about in a blingy frock coat rather than shimmering in a haze of icy blue fire. Yet if you are under 10 years old and care less about such things, this punchy stage show is a blast. The story is simple. Following a botched raid by Bob and Charles, Zeus's son Hercules is destined to live among the mortals, yet with his god-given strength intact. Desperate to return home to Olympus, he must learn to behave in a way no god has yet managed. Yet his plans are beset by both his growing love for the reluctantly duplicitous Meg, who is enslaved to Hades, as well as the evil god's scheming. It's about as lightweight as an aspen leaf, and a lot of fun. Hercules has not had an easy route to the stage – previous try outs in the US and Hamburg were not met with flat out critical acclaim. And its current incarnation can't compete with Drury Lane's previous Disney occupant Frozen in terms of sheer artistic ambition: for all the towering human-held puppet monsters and Olympian grandeur of the set design, there is precious little here to induce wonder. There's the nagging suspicion that the many omissions – flying horses, chimeric fiends, the epic finale between Hercules and the Titans – were made in the name of creative expediency rather than narrative improvement. Yet the show's larky, pantomime feel has its own virtues. Luke Brady is an endearing wannabe hero, sporting a goofy grin worthy of Jim Carrey and singing the show's stand out song Go The Distance with palpable tenderness. The beefed up character of Meg doesn't come off so well – it's a pity male script writers tend to think fleshing out female characters means turning them instead into generic feminist mouth pieces – but Mae Ann Jorolan still exudes sarky hand-on-hip attitude. Stephen Carlile can't match James Woods, who voiced the original Hades, for sardonic whip-cracking malevolence, but given his brief was evidently camp panto villain, he rises to the task with gusto. And while the gag a minute script contains plenty of groaners, it thankfully avoids the temptation to slip into 21st century platitudes about identity and self worth that could have bogged things down. Nothing to scare the gods then, but for families with young children, an excellent tip for summer. Booking until Mar 28, 2026
