Created by award-winning company The Barden Party - Winner of Best Theatre Weekly Awards at the Adelaide Fringe (2024 & 2025), HERACLES: Of Men & Beasts is a fully original folk musical that reimagines the Greek myth of Heracles: his struggle with his darker self and his fraught relationship with Hera, Queen of the Gods. Blending Greek myth with the glamour and shadows of 1940s Hollywood, the show explores power, celebrity, ambition, perception, adversity and self-worth. Who are we when no one is watching—Hero? Villain? Man? Beast? God? As the Oracle of Delphi reminds us: “Know thyself” (Γνῶθι σαυτόν).

Performed live by a cast of four, with original music played on multiple instruments using a 4-track loop pedal, Heracles builds a rich, immersive soundscape with just one musician at a time.

Directed by award-winning Kiwi-American actor and director Laura Irish and featuring music and lyrics by award-winning songwriter Ollie Howlett, this is a world premiere experience you won’t want to miss. Warning: This version has not been "Disney-ified".

Internationally acclaimed for Butterfly Smokescreen and their bluegrass Macbeth, and debuting their first year at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe with six five-star reviews and named one of The Rec’s Top Ten Favourite Shows, the Barden Party brings their signature blend of Greek tragedy, live music, and theatrical innovation to Fairfield House this December, before touring to Edinburgh Fringe 2026.

(This story is self-contained but is Part One of what will eventually be a two part show. Part Two, HERACLES: Of Gods & Men, will be released in late 2026.)

Book your tickets now and witness the myth come alive!