The Lightning Thief | Belgrade Theatre

The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical, adapted by Joe Tracz and Rob Rokicki from the book of the same title by Rick Riordan takes us into a reality where the Greek Gods were still truly living, and their demigod (known as ‘half-bloods’ in the show) are left to navigate life on Earth. Making a successful debut on Broadway in 2014, the show premiered in London last year before kicking off its UK tour.

The show follows 16 year old Percy Jackson as he discovers the paternal figure missing from his life up until now is actually the Sea God Poseidon, leading him into a new world full of mythological monsters, secrets hidden in plain sight, and a quest from the Gods to prevent the mighty Olympians going to war - all under the threat of betrayal written in a mysterious prophecy, and while making his own journey to save his beloved mother from the underworld.

As the three main teens (Percy, fellow half-blood Annabeth and Satyr/Percy’s best friend Grover) journey West across the states, we are taken through dozens of exciting locations through creative use of a minimal and diverse set (designed by Ryan Dawson Laight) and exciting visual projections covering the stage backdrop and proscenium to immerse the audience (designed by Matt Powell).

Vasco Emauz brings full-blown teenage angst to the role, bringing to the forefront the frustrations and feelings of rejection from the young boy struggling to fit in and make friends. He handles the demanding solo numbers in the score with skill and a dedication to the character that gives a heartfelt and emotive performance.

Leading the company alongside are Kayna Montecillo as Annabeth, and this performance was the debut of ensemble member Alex Anderton in the role of Grover. Montecillo gives a fierce performance as Annabeth, digging into the character's drive and gritty determination to prove her worth and carefully layering and peeling away layers of her defence throughout the show as her relationship with Percy grows fonder.

Although the character herself is played with delicious nuance and a strong vocal performance, it occasionally feels as though the two leads are slightly lacking in chemistry at some points in the show.

Anderton makes an astounding debut as Grover, stepping naturally into the role and giving as much to it as would be expected of a performer with months of experience playing the part. His portrayal of Grover was equal parts positively endearing and heart wrenching, and no opportunity to add depth to the character was missed.

Most notable was Anderton’s demonstration of Grover's deep seated guilt and feelings of responsibility for his friends, seeping through the cracks throughout the show before pouring out in his emotional solo number that melted the audience in sympathy for the sweet-natured Satyr. By balancing this angst with an innocent and optimistic outer wall, Anderton creates a character we spend the show wanting more and more of, and it is exciting to think how his take on the role will progress throughout the tour.

Other notable cast members include Paolo Micallef as Luke, cast through open auditions held previously this year and strongly holding his own against the rest of the professional cast, with attention grabbing stage presence and an eerie characterisation of the camp counsellor - and Joe Connor who recently took over the role as Mr. D, otherwise known as the God Dionysus. Connor is an impressive comedic actor in this role and with his solo number acting as a buffer between the familiar world and what to us is the fantasy world of Gods and half-bloods, he does not fail to set up the chaotic and unpredictable energy we can expect from the rest of this show.

Having previously made their name as the writer and composer respectively of Be More Chill, Tracz and Rokicki provide the show with a score that more than adequately lives up to expectations, setting us up with catchy pop-rock style songs, many which let us delve into the characters inner world and experience, while second-handedly building a picture of the world they live in. With expectations set by the score for a high energy, fantastical show thrust forward by the cohesive score, there were moments where the energy disappointingly fell flat, despite impressive vocal performances from principal cast.

Overall, The Lightning Thief offers an exciting and fantastical story that has many endearing moments throughout, although this production in particular can occasionally fall short on what was originally expected. Nonetheless, it was a thoroughly enjoyable show with strong performances throughout.

The Lightning Thief plays at the Belgrade Theatre before continuing on its UK tour.

Tickets and More Information

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography taken from the theatre website