Mae Ann Jorolan is Hercules' lightning bolt break-out star

Mae Ann Jorolan - (Matt Crockett)

Mae Ann Jorolan is one of the hottest theatrical break-out stars this year after her star turn in Disney’s Hercules at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. But she’s already been there and done that in Germany, having originated the role in Hamburg under director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw. Based on the 1997 film, it proved a hit there, she was invited to join the company here, and the demi-gods have made a lot of thunderous noise in the West End since.

“It's the story of Hercules, a young man who wants to fit in, but since he's a demigod living on earth, he's struggling with that,” she tells us, “He's on a journey to finding himself, and along the way he meets characters like Meg; me. I’m working for Hades, the god of the underworld, and I do my biddings for him for eternity because I sold my soul to him... I mean, she’s mean.