Alan Menken and Casey Nicholaw discuss the journey of Disney’s Hercules and why West End premiere will differ from previous versions

The West End premiere of Disney’s Hercules begins preview performances at Theatre Royal Drury Lane this evening and recently, we sat down with the musical’s composer Alan Menken and director-choreographer Casey Nicholaw.

The pair of Tony Award winners previously worked together on the stage adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin and then turned their attention to the 1997 animated classic Hercules.

We chat about the musical’s various incarnations over the past several years and how it has evolved to its most high-profile outing yet, here in London. Check out the highlights from our interviews below:

Disney’s Hercules follows the titular Greek hero as he battles to claim his birthright and strength, while pitted against the villainous Hades. Alongside the music by Menken (Beauty and the Beast), it features lyrics by David Zippel (Mulan), and a new book by Robert Horn (Shucked) and Kwame Kwei-Armah (The Visitor). Numbers in the show include “Go the Distance”, “Zero to Hero” and “I Won’t Say (I’m In Love)”.

The West End cast is led by Grammy nominee Luke Brady as Hercules, with Mae Ann Jorolan (making her West End debut as Meg, after originating the role in Hamburg), Trevor Dion Nicholas (as Phil), Stephen Carlile (as Hades), Craig Gallivan (as Bob) and Lee Zarrett (as Charles).

Starring as the Muses are Candace Furbert (as Thalia), Sharlene Hector (as Clio), Brianna Ogunbawo (as Melpomene), Malinda Parris (as Calliope), and Robyn Rose-Li (as Terpsichore), with Kamilla Fernandes (as Standby Muse).

The company is completed by Rhianne Alleyne, Lana Antoniou, Daisy Barnett, Felipe Bejarano, Sarah Benbelaid, Joel Benjamin, Jack Butcher, Nicole Carlisle, Francessca Daniella-Baker, Jemal Felix, Marie Finlayson, Ryesha Higgs, Cruz-Troy Hunter, Travis Kerry, Stefan Lagoulis, Jason Leigh Winter, Jordan Livesey, Harriet Millier, Ellie Mitchell, Saffi Needham, Ingrid Olivia, Matt Overfield, Patrick Robinson, Ope Sowande and Rhys West..

The production also features co-choreography by Tanisha Scott, scenic and additional video design by Dane Laffrey, costume design by Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser, lighting design by Jeff Croiter, sound design by Adam Fisher, video design by George Reeve, special effects design by Jeremy Chernick, dance music arrangements by David Chase, hair and wig design by Mia M. Neal, and make-up design by Kirk Cambridge-Del Pesche.

Disney’s Hercules is set for an official opening night at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 24 June 2025. Tickets for performances through to March 2026 are on sale below.