Presented by: Scotch College
Reviewed: 7 August 2026
The professional production of Hadestown played Australia back in 2025, however it never made it to Adelaide. This month, Scotch College brought their amateur production of Hadestown: Teen Edition to the beautifully upgraded Thebarton Theatre, but there’s not much about this production that’s amateur.
Upon entering the auditorium, audience members encountered the first signs that this production was not restricted by the same budget constraints that most local groups suffer. The extremely impressive static set defied the stage boundaries, protruding into the audience space in commanding style.
Before the audience had a chance to fully take that in, Thebby Theatre’s sound system boomed into life, demanding everyone’s attention for the spectacle to follow. The orchestra (sounding much larger than just 8 musicians) captured the attention of anyone not yet locked in, and Hadestown: Teen Edition was underway.
William Jarvis as Hermes, sang and moved confidently, opening the show well and setting the scene for his fellow performers of Cast 1 (there are two casts on rotation across the six performances). Orpheus was played with gentle strength by Sebastian Cox, who at times, sounded like Eddie Redmayne. Sienna Turner gave a strong performance as Eurydice, while Eleanour Driver’s performance of Persephone was mighty and striking.
It was Tom Wetherall as Hades who captivated most though. Seemingly standing in for Cast 1’s Hades, Wetheral’s booming bass-baritone rumbled out of Thebby’s superb audio system. Although not looking comfortable 100% of the time, the many moments when Wetheral nailed his performance were wonderful to watch.
This whole cast was impressive though. The dance troupe’s precision and energy were outstanding, with every choreographed move delivered with punch and power. The wall of sound provided by the ensemble would rival most ensembles that have graced that stage. In the dual role of Director and Choreographer, Stefanie Thompson achieved the best from her students, and the results are outstanding. Martin Cheney also accomplished good success from the cast and musicians as Musical Director.
The whole production was no doubt lifted by the extravagant budget. I suspect a certain amount of professional services have been engaged, that again, are just not available to Adelaide’s local amateur theatre groups or other school productions. The engagement of these professionals created a production of immense quality, but that can’t take away from the performers themselves, who couldn’t have delivered the high-quality performances they did without intense rehearsal and commitment.
All round, a terrific show that should hold a special place in the memories of all involved.
Reviewed by Doug Phillips
Photo credit: supplied
Venue: Thebarton Theatre
Season: Until August 9th
Duration: 2 hours
Tickets: $46.91 – $57.11 (plus booking fee)
Bookings: https://www.ticketmaster.com.au/scotch-college-hadestown-teen-edition-tickets/artist/4477599
