Girls Aloud’s Nicola Roberts to star in Hadestown in London

The producers of award-winning West End musical Hadestown have announced new casting for the show.

Hadestown is currently playing at the Lyric Theatre in London, booking until 15 February 2026.

Nicola Roberts (City of Angels), a member of hugely successful pop group Girls Aloud, is set to join the cast of Hadestown, playing Persephone.

Nicola Roberts will take over from current Persephone, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Cinderella, HEX), who leaves on 14 September. The date of Nicola’s premiere in the show is 16 September 2025, and she is playing in the production until 18 January 2026.

Nicola revealed the news to Scott Mills today, 12 August, on his BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show.

Nicola Roberts said in a statement: “I am beyond thrilled to be joining the cast of Hadestown in London. This show is a true masterpiece, and I am honoured to be a part of such a talented and inspiring team. The role of Persephone has such depth and complexity, she feels light and sorrow, joy and darkness. Her songs are rich with emotion and an absolute joy to sing, and I’m excited to explore every facet of her character on stage. I am grateful for this incredible opportunity, and I can’t wait to share this journey with audiences in London. Let’s take a trip to the underworld together!”

The cast of the show also features Desmonda Cathabel (Disney’s Aladdin, Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream) as Eurydice, Dylan Wood (No Love Songs) as Orpheus, Chris Jarman (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) as Hades, Olivier Award-nominee Cedric Neal (Guys & Dolls, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812) as Hermes, and Melanie Bright, Allie Daniel and Lauran Rae as the Fates.

The company is completed by Femi Akinfolarin, Michelle Andrews, Ollie Bingham, Laura Delany and Sebastian Lim-Seet as the Workers, with Lucinda Buckley, Juan Jackson, Oisín Nolan-Power, Lindo Shinda and Jasmine Triadi as Swings.

Nicola Roberts is an acclaimed singer, songwriter and actor, and a member of Britain’s biggest-selling girl group of the 21st century, Girls Aloud. Nicola is also a successful solo recording artist, and a theatre star, with previous roles including City of Angels at the Garrick Theatre in London.

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More about the creators of Hadestown

Hadestown has music, lyrics, and a book by Anaïs Mitchell, and direction by Tony Award-winner Rachel Chavkin.

The show is a modern retelling of two ancient Greek mythic love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone, blending modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz.

The creative team also includes David Neumann (choreography), Rachel Hauck (scenic design), Michael Krass (costume design), Bradley King (lighting design), Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz (sound design), Liam Robinson (music supervision and vocal arrangements), Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose (arrangements and orchestrations), Ken Cerniglia (dramaturgy), Maria Crocker (UK Associate Director), Tarek Merchant (Musical Director), Jacob Sparrow (London casting).

Hadestown’s history

Hadestown first premiered at the National Theatre in 2018, and has gone on to enjoy a successful run on Broadway where it won 8 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album. The show enjoyed great reviews from the London theatre critics when it opened in February 2023.

Hadestown has also been filmed in London for a new Hadestown Live in London film, starring the original National Theatre and Broadway leads Reeve Carney as Orpheus, André De Shields as Hermes, Amber Gray as Persephone, Eva Noblezada as Eurydice and Patrick Page as Hades.

It was announced this week that Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada are set to star as The Emcee and Sally Bowles next month in hit musical Cabaret in London.