The Three Muses—Clio, Erato, and Thalia—guide us through an epic Greek adventure. In ancient Greece, Hercules lives with his food-obsessed mother, Dame Donna Kebab, but feels like an outsider due to his incredible strength that constantly causes trouble. Yearning to discover where he belongs, Hercules meets Meg, a witty toga seller who understands what it's like to never quite fit in. When a mysterious "Find Yourself" contest appears, promising self-discovery, Hercules eagerly signs up—unaware it's a trap set by Hades, the bitter God of the Underworld.
Hades, desperate to escape his underground prison and overthrow his brother Zeus, has designed twelve impossible labours to eliminate Hercules. Zeus is Hercules' father and abandoned him years ago under pressure from the gods. Watching from Mount Olympus, Zeus and the other gods decide to help Hercules by bestowing divine gifts, including a winged horse named Pegasus who has an unfortunate fear of heights.
Against all odds, and with guidance from the Muses, Hercules completes the twelve labours and discovers Zeus is his father. But Hades kidnaps Meg to use as a sacrifice in his plan to release the ancient Titans and destroy Olympus. Hercules must venture into the Underworld with Dame Donna, his trainer Phil, and Pegasus to rescue Meg and stop Hades.
In the final confrontation, Hercules defeats Hades not with strength, but with the power of love and kindness. When Zeus offers him godhood, Hercules chooses to remain with Meg, finally understanding that belonging isn't about where you are—it's about who you're with. Dame Donna reunites with Zeus, and Phil and Clio find their happy endings in a joyous Greek wedding celebration.
CHARACTERS 5m, 6f, 10m/f plus ensemble
- Clio: The serious, scholarly Muse of History, loves history and facts.
- Erato: The dreamy, romantic Muse of Poetry, sees everything through heart shaped glasses.
- Thalia: The hilarious Muse of Comedy, always there with jokes and quips.
- Philoctetes (Phil) - A loveable trainer of heroes. Loves audience interaction.
- Dame Donna Kebab - Hercules' loving mother, who constantly tries to feed everyone.
- Hercules – The incredibly strong son of Zeus and Dame Donna, longs to find his true identity.
- Megara (Meg) – Witty with a sharp sense of humour. Knows what it’s like to be an outsider.
- Pegasus - A magnificent, winged pantomime horse with a fear of heights.
- Hades - The hot-headed God of the Underworld. Resentful of his brother Zeus.
- Demi – (From Deimos, God of Fear) Anxious and makes lists of everything that could go wrong.
- Phobo – (From Phobos, God of Chaos) Chaotic and loves causing panic.
- Zeus - King of the Gods and Hercules' father, who abandoned him.
- Aphrodite - The passionate Goddess of Love.
- Ares - The angry God of War. Always looking for a fight but terrible at it.
- Athena - The shield bearing, analytical Goddess of Wisdom.
- Dionysus - The theatrical God of Wine and Arts.
- Hebe - The energetic young Goddess of Youth.
- Hermes: The messenger of the gods.
- Poseidon - The "wet" God of the Sea.
OTHER CHARACTERS
- Townspeople/Ensemble: Various Greek villagers.
- Hercule Poirot – A misplaced detective.
- Medusa - The snake-haired monster who turns people to stone with her gaze
- Stagehands 1&2
FOR THE 12 LABOURS (Chronological order)
- Nemean Lion: A fierce, enormous lion with a golden coat that weapons cannot pierce.
- Hydra: A giant water serpent with multiple heads - when one is cut off, two grow in its place.
- Ceryneian Hind: A beautiful, swift deer with golden antlers and bronze hooves.
- Erymanthian Boar: A massive, wild pig, with razor-sharp tusks that tear through villages.
- Augean Stables: Cattle stalls that haven't been cleaned in 30 years.
- Stymphalian Birds: Vicious birds with bronze beaks and metal feathers they shoot like arrows.
- Cretan Bull: An enormous, aggressive bull that breathes fire.
- Diomedes' Mares: Man-eating horses trained to devour any human.
- Hippolyta's Belt: A magical belt from the warrior queen of the Amazons.
- Geryon's Cattle: Cattle guarded by Geryon, a giant with three heads, and six arms.
- The Golden Apples: Magical fruit guarded by a hundred-headed dragon named Ladon.
- Cerberus: A monstrous three-headed dog with a snake for a tail.
CAST SIZE FLEXIBILITY - This production is written for a large cast but can be reduced for smaller casts. With adaptations the number of gods can be significantly reduced. The Three Muses
can be reduced to two, keeping Clio and Thalia and redistributing Erato's lines. Several roles can be doubled as they never appear simultaneously: gods may double as elements in the labours sequence, and as Poirot and the stagehands.
MUSES - The Muses serve dual roles as narrators guiding the audience through scene changes and as active characters within scenes. Their lines should be delivered during scene changes to help fill that time.