Hadestown Reviews: What the Critics Said

Hadestown was first seen in London at the National Theatre but then had its West End opening at the Lyric Theatre in February 2024, with eight Tony Awards already behind it. The London notices were more divided than the popularity of the show suggests. The way they divided is genuinely useful if you are deciding whether to book.

The short version

Read the reviews together and something unusual comes out of them. The critics did not disagree about the show. They agreed about it almost completely, and disagreed only about whether they minded.

From the five-star notice to the two-star one, every critic said the same two things: the score is strong, and the book is thin. What separates a five from a two here is not what they saw. It is whether a musical that is more a procession of songs than a story is a pleasure or a problem.

What every critic agreed on

Nobody thought the score was weak. The Times called it "a reminder of what musical theatre can achieve when it sets its sights beyond the lowest common denominator", and said "the underworld has never sounded so funky". WhatsOnStage went for the band: "On stage Hadestown is the most exhilarating ride", with musicians who are "consistently thrilling". And the Evening Standard, which gave the show two stars, still called the songs "strong, standout tunes".

Nobody thought the book was strong either. The Times, at five stars, wondered whether the evening could lose fifteen minutes. The Guardian, at four, called the book "barely there". The Stage called it "an undernourished parade of numbers rather an achieved theatrical work". The Telegraph said "it can feel like one damned song after another".

That is the same show being described twice, by people who scored it two and a half stars apart.

Where they split

On one question only: whether being carried by a score for two and a half hours is the point or the problem.

The Telegraph gave the fairest summary of the whole argument in a single sentence: "Yes, it can feel like one damned song after another. But it washes over you like a steam bath." The complaint and the compensation in the same breath.

The Guardian described it working on you without your noticing: "the alchemy is created quietly and somewhere in the first act you find yourself hooked."

The Stage gave the most practical advice of the lot: "Best, then, just to sit back and enjoy the ride."

And the Evening Standard simply did not get there: "Personally, I don't get it," and "the endless reprises start to drag".

The reviews, one by one

• The Times, five stars. "A reminder of what musical theatre can achieve."
• The Guardian, four. "This is one of the best West End musicals around."
• WhatsOnStage, four. "The most exhilarating ride."
• Time Out, four. "A long way from normal. A gloriously improbable triumph."
• The i, four. On the atmosphere: "splendidly sultry".
• londontheatre.co.uk, four. "Well worth the wait."
• BroadwayWorld, four. On the cast: "powerhouse performances".
• The Daily Telegraph, three. "Imbued with passion and great performances."
• The Observer, three. Credits Rachel Chavkin's production with nudging "the musical world along".
• The Stage, three. "Fitfully seductive", and "the journey is sometimes stunning".
• The Evening Standard, two. "The endless reprises start to drag."

So should you go?

The question is not whether Hadestown is any good. It is whether you have come for a story or for a score. If it is the score, the enthusiasts are your guide. If you need a plot that keeps moving, the two-star review is the honest warning.

Audiences have been notably warmer than the critics, which happens most often with shows that reward giving in to them rather than watching them closely.

Since press night

The reviews above describe the company that opened the show, and Hadestown has recast several times since, most recently in September 2026. The production itself is unchanged.

Ready to book? See Hadestown tickets, or read our Lyric Theatre guide for where to sit.