Luke Brady has received fabulous reviews for his portrayal of Hercules at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The director of the production, inspired by Disney’s 1997 smash-hit animated film, had high hopes for Luke stating “In a search that took us across the globe, we have found our perfect hero in Luke”. Casey Nicholaw’s instincts proved spot on as the reviews are unanimous in their praise of Luke. ‘Theatre Weekly’ states "Luke Brady leads the cast with a commanding performance as Hercules, combining vocal prowess with emotional nuance. His rendition of “Go the Distance” is a clear highlight—soaring, heartfelt, and met with rapturous applause." The Financial Times agrees proclaiming “Luke Brady’s likeable Hercules looks impeccable in his tiny toga and mesh vest and brings a soaring voice and open-faced, high-school musical quality to his perma-smiling hero.” West End Wilma backs this up with "Luke Brady shines. Commanding the stage with both a rich, expressive vocal performance and an irresistible charm, Brady leads the production with confidence and heart. He brings a refreshing vitality to the role, embracing the show’s larger-than-life tone and leaning into its sense of escapism with gleeful abandon. It’s clear he’s having fun—and the audience is right there with him."
Hurtwood is rightly proud of Luke whose previous theatre credits include ‘As You Like It’ for the RSC, ‘SuperYou’ at the West End’s Lyric Theatre, ‘Assassins’ at Chichester Festival Theatre, and ‘The Prince of Egypt’ at the West End’s Dominion Theatre. It seems like only yesterday that his performance as Galileo in Hurtwood’s production of “We will Rock You” inspired his acting agency to take him on. Never a stranger, Luke recently came back to school to film a podcast for ‘Hurtwood: Beyond the Hill’ (Series 1 Episode 5) with alumnus James Gaffney and in a wonderful Hurtwood coincidence, he is working alongside ex-student Lucy Mason- Lockett who, having studied at RADA, is currently Assistant Stage Manager on Hercules. Lucy also recently returned to school for a podcast (Series 2 Episode 8) discussing all things technical theatre with James.
If you have a spare evening this summer, head to the Theatre Royal to watch this spectacular production. With music by 8-time Oscar winner Alan Menken, lyrics by Tony Award winner David Zippel and Luke’s thrilling performance you won’t be disappointed.
