Finding Hercules
Critical Reflections on a Mythical Double Bill
London Handel Festival – Tales of Apollo and Hercules
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Taking on the role of Hercules in the London Handel Festival’s “Mythical Double Bill” was a deep and complex joy — a role shaped as much by stillness and internal struggle as it was by heroic gesture. This production, directed by Thomas Guthrie and staged at Shoreditch Town Hall, paired Apollo e Dafne with The Choice of Hercules, creating a vibrant, choreographically rich environment in which voices, ballet, and puppetry intertwined.
I wanted to share some of the incredibly generous critical responses to the show — and to my performance — which left me humbled and grateful.
★ Critical Highlights
“James Hall blazed his own brilliant path as Hercules with his cut-glass countertenor… a rare oasis of calm where the music could shine through.”
— The Times
“I will never forget countertenor James Hall’s beautiful delivery of Hercules’s vocal lines while manipulating his alter ego puppet.”
— Seen & Heard International
“…a voice of exceptional quality – a joy to hear as Hercules.”
— The Stage
“It is James Hall’s Hercules that stands out, with his sensitive countertenor drawing us in to such an extent that time seems to stand still.”
— musicOMH
“James Hall is utterly captivating, conveying through vivid stripes of sound the sense of being torn in half by the decision he must make.”
— The Arts Desk“Hall is the highlight for me — what a lovely voice.”
— British Theatre Guide
“Note-perfect throughout.”
— LondonTheatre1
“Hall’s eloquent and delicate countertenor makes for an understated but moving Hercules, giving us the naive lack of assurance of a youth.”
— Bachtrack
“The laurels went to the supple, burgundy-toned Hall, whose generous alto nailed the show’s big hit, Yet Can I Hear That Dulcet Lay.”
— The Guardian
“sung by countertenor James Hall, who is possessed of the most appealing voice… sang with a perfect sense of style. His crucial air, ‘Where shall I go?’ was gripping…”
— Opera Today
Throughout the production, I operated the Hercules puppet myself — a continuous physical and emotional dialogue that shaped how I approached the role. Singing while bringing this crafted double to life required a level of coordination and connection I’d never experienced before on stage. It wasn’t just about movement; it was about vulnerability.
The puppet became a vessel for Hercules’s uncertainty — his hesitations, hopes, and the tension between glory and virtue — all filtered through voice and gesture. I came to think of the role not as performing Hercules, but as giving him life — musically and physically — in the same breath.
Technically, the demands were precise: I controlled head yaw and tilt with one hand, and head pitch and torso movement with the other, while two brilliant puppeteers operated an arm each. We had to move as one body, fully in sync, every gesture shaped by the music.
Several critics picked up on this layered embodiment, and I’m grateful it resonated. For me, it was a rare kind of intimacy — to give breath to a figure of myth, and feel him breathe back through the music.
Thank you to everyone who came, watched, wrote, and supported this show. It was a myth worth living.