NT releases Hex highlights album as it cancels performances up to 28 December 2021

Kat Ronneyin Hex at the National Theatre, London. Picture: Brinkhoff-Moegenburg

With performances of Hex at the National Theatre cancelled until 28 December due to company illness, the NT has released a highlights recording on Broadway Records.

Now available from all major digital music retailers, the 16-track ‘Hex: Highlights from the National Theatre production’ follows the October release of music videos of the studio session recordings of ‘Probly’ sung by Rosalie Craig as Fairy; ‘Sixteen’ sung by Kat Ronney who plays the central role of Rose; and ‘In the Middle’ sung by Craig and the production’s Queenie, Tamsin Carroll.

Carroll, Craig and Ronney star alongside Michael Elcock as Bert, Daisy Maywood as Regina, Shaq Taylor as Rex and Sargon Yelda as Smith/Smith-Smith. They are joined by Christopher Akrill, Delroy Atkinson, Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Madeline Charlemagne, Ebony Clarke, Sonya Cullingford, Hanna Dimtsu, Tamsin Dowsett, Joe Foster, Ben Goffe, Eleanor Kane, Kody Mortimer and Joseph Prouse.

Directed by the National’s director and joint chief executive Rufus Norris who also provides the lyrics, Hex takes the traditional story of Sleeping Beauty beyond the Prince’s wake-up kiss. Told from the fairy’s perspective, the musical features a book by Tanya Ronder and music by Jim Fortune.

Commenting on the album release, composer Fortune said: “I’m enormously proud to share the songs from the magical world of Hex, written and produced during the most testing times for our theatres. The songs are performed with such generosity and soul by our musicians and actors, and I hope they give you joy, and a warm Fairy glow in your heart.”

‘Hex: Highlights from the National Theatre production’ was recorded at The Warehouse, Waterloo in November. The recording features the Hex company alongside the Hex band. The band is Tarek Merchant (music director) on keys, Cat Beveridge (associate music director) on keys 2, harmonium and celeste, David Delarre on electric guitar, acoustic guitars and banjo, Jo Nichols and Adam Higgs on upright and electric bass, Joley Cragg on kit and percussion, Nick Pynn on guitar, violin, mandocello and tiple, Howard McGill on flute, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet and baritone saxophone, Nathaniel Cross on trombone and bass trombone and Ros Stephen on violin, viola and mandolin.

Adapted from Norris’ critically-acclaimed 2002 Sleeping Beauty which took its inspiration from the 17th century folk tale, Hex reunites Norris with Katrina Lindsay, the set and costume designer on his Sleeping Beauty.

Orchestrations for the production are by Simon Hale, music supervision is by Marc Tritschler, music direction is by Tarek Merchant, lighting design is by Paul Anderson, choreography is by Jade Hackett with consultant choreography by Bill Deamer, sound design by Simon Baker and video design by Ash Woodward. Hex is due to run until 22 January 2022.

Angela Thomas