Manchester Theatre News & Reviews

REVIEW - The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is a show fit for the Gods!

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We went to HOME in Manchester to see The Lightning Thief. Read what our reviewer Karen Ryder had to say about this amazing Percy Jackson musical...

With a novel as popular as the first in the Percy Jackson series – The Lightning Thief, a multitude of adaptations are bound to follow. This fantasy series by Rick Riordan captured the hearts and imaginations of an entire generation, intertwining heroic adventures and battles between the Greek Gods, demigods and Titans. It champions the underdog, embraces uniqueness, and creates a world where anyone who feels different is celebrated and can succeed. The idea for the protagonist Percy Jackson is said to have been born during a bedtime story session between Rick Riordan and his son, who had been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, and so a world was created where this was seen as a superpower and strength. The Percy Jackson books have now been translated into languages across the globe, sold in their multi millions, and been turned into films and a Disney+ series. And now – a musical.

So, get ready for an adventure like no other as we are swept away into the Godly world of Percy Jackson, a high school student struggling to fit in, and it’s no wonder as he turns out to be the son of Greek God Poseidon! This demigod, brought up alone by his human mother, finds himself in danger of being discovered by an unexplained world of ferocious monsters. As the attacks become more prominent, he is quickly whisked off to a camp for half-bloods. Here he discovers he is not alone, there are others like him, and he begins to unravel exactly what, and who he is. The absence of his true father is explained to him – Poseidon and his brothers Hades and Zeus had agreed to stay away from their demigod offspring for reasons that are explained within the show. He discovers his best friend Grover is actually a Satyr and has been watching over him this whole time, for Zeus has had his lightning bolt stolen – the most powerful weapon in the world. And Zeus believes Percy is the one who took it. Percy suddenly finds himself thrust into the limelight as he must face up to his past, save the world, find the lightning bolt, stop a war between the Gods, and save his mum. It’s quite the ‘to do’ list! As Percy believes Hades to be the real thief, he sets off to the underworld with Grover and new demigod friend Annabeth, daughter of Athena. But is Hades really the thief, or just another victim? Will they be able to look a little closer to home and discover the truth before it is too late? Enter Kronos and Ares who are determined to create chaos, war, and division. With the odds stacked against him, Percy must dig deep and be unafraid to question everything and everyone, for sometimes the real enemy is hiding in plain sight!

The impact of adapting such a hugely popular book into a musical, one which has die hard fans who know every inch of this world, is both a blessing and a curse. It brings a ready made audience, wanting and willing the show to be everything they imagined, and more. But therein also lies the potential danger if expectations are not met. From my perspective, which is all I can offer, I haven’t read the books, but I have seen the films (which for reference, take a bit of a de-railing from the books anyway), and I came with an open mind, assuming the show was aimed at a younger audience than myself. All I can say is that within the first minute I was hooked! I instantly fell in love with this show, perhaps its rock edge immediately won me over, but it became abundantly clear that this was a talented team of cast and creatives in epic proportions! Somehow the opening encapsulated the tone of the whole show, full of grit, brilliant humour, fantasy, theatrical genius, emotion, and heart. It knew when to take itself seriously, and when to laugh at itself, and I loved it! It has an honest and open soul to it that celebrates quirks and nuances as superpowers!

The design of this show is beautifully magical. Creating mythical creature such as minotaur’s is no easy feat but the result was inspiring as to what is possible! It is a powerful moment that heightened the atmosphere and I fell right back into my childlike state of wonder, watching with eyes bright and mouth agog. The same can be said for the Godly elements, such as Hermes flying shoes, the oracle, of course the lightning, and a goosebumps moment when Percy finally learns how to utilise his connection to the water. The creatives have done an impeccable job, working together to blend their various skills into one slick and stupendous show. Designer Ryan Dawson Laight has brought us camp half-blood right to the stage, intertwined with the shape of Olympus’ emblem, whilst simultaneously making it work for Percys school, the underworld, and various other locations. Curved scenery is designed with a graceful agility so that it easily moves to create different shapes and silhouettes, and the whole set is rigged with metal bars allowing the cast to be absorbed into this world, making it a 3d scene that they can climb, jump from, and goodness knows what else! It made the whole stage feel alive. Tim Deiling, Dan Samson, and Matt Powell have designed exquisite lighting, sound, and video respectively to not only compliment the set, but to work within it. Videos and lighting are projected onto the set to work in harmony with it rather than being used to replace scenery, allowing for camp half-blood to be instantly underwater, a school suddenly plunged into the fiery pits of evil, or a record shop into the underworld. It is quite spectacular. Sound underpins the whole show, exuding ambience, mood, and atmosphere.

Adapted for stage by Joe Tracz, with music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, The Lightning Thief is a feisty musical that gives young people a voice, a platform, and rocks out for good measure! I absolutely loved the songs, with many stand out numbers. With rock at its heart, it equally explored the various formats, with power ballads, country rock, folk rock, rock n’ roll, and pop rock. From the opening ‘The Day I Got Expelled,’ which is incredible story telling through music, and immediately creates a vibe felt throughout the theatre, we are led into numbers such as the dry and snarky humour of ‘Another Terrible Day.’ ‘The Campfire Song,’ gives a beautifully serene and poignant moment where we are able to reflect and catch our breath, and ‘D.O.A’ cleverly references and intertwines the musical legacies we have lost to the musical heavens over the years. With a show full of incredible tunes, the one that really impacted me the most was ‘Good Kid.’ This is Percy’s chance to explain what it’s like living with ADHD and how he is always deemed naughty, when that is not what his experience or intention is at all. For someone who works with children and young people, it was a powerful moment that I felt with all my heart. It was also an exceptional performance from Vasco Emauz who embodied Percy Jackson’s struggles, instantly making him a character you not only champion, but respect. This was a phenomenal performance throughout, giving us light and shade, utter believability in his inner tensions, and clarity of the complex issues within the story. Kayna Montecillo is girl power personified as Annabeth, whilst equally offering up the opposing turmoil of trying to prove her worth in order to feel loved. It is a brilliant portrayal of how many feel valued over what they are rather than who they are. The power and strength in her performance was inspiring. Cahir O’Neill is the best friend we all wish we had as Grover, giving us humour, light heartedness, and cheerleading his friends on every step of the way, alongside his own inner scars, beautifully portrayed in his solo ‘The Tree On The Hill,’ a performance which showed us the tears behind the laughter.

Danny Beard is hilarious as the party animal and grumpy Mr. D. Their facial expressions are so animated throughout that a simple gesture or movement spoke volumes as to their inner dialogue, and you couldn’t help but love the sarcastic, cynical tendencies of a larger-than-life character. This was an epic performance. Niall Sheehy brings us Mr. Brunner and quite a few other characters too (no spoilers here, you’ll have to watch to see how many times he appears in a variety of situations) but it is with awe that we all watched him throughout the show. To even move around as Mr. Brunner in the exquisite costume is no easy task in itself, but to switch it up to such opposite extremes with opposing characters, was incredible to watch, and a testament to his talent. And what a voice. Wow. Simone Robinson is wonderful as Percy’s mum Sally and again gives us a variety of roles that showcase her talent, such as the evil Medusa and the disco vibing host to the underworld! Paolo Micallef is brilliant as the shady Luke, reeling us in hook, line, and sinker even though I already knew the things I knew! It is yet another strong performance, as was that of Ellie-Grace Cousins as Clarisse – a physical powerhouse of strength and energy, and Joseph Connor as the belching, foul, and fabulously performed Gabe. The entire cast was fizzing with frenetic energy that was honed and channelled to perfection, giving us the most incredible highs, and the heart-stringing pull of an emotive and empowering core. Perfectly directed and choreographed by Lizzi Gee, this show knows its own identity and isn’t afraid to show it. A final shout out to Richard Pinner who created the illusions in this show that were fabulous.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson musical feels like a champion musical for young people, and to be honest, people of every age, everywhere. It is theatrical in every sense of the word, with superb storytelling, and a place that welcomes everyone. The hope is that its message of defiance, of carrying on even when things seem impossible, of fighting with your last breath for what you believe in, and never giving up when you know it to be the right thing to do, is inspiring to people of all ages, for we are never too old to stand tall and do the right thing, no matter how hard it is. This is the heart of the show and is packaged up in such a mesmerising way that it is hard to resist falling in love with the Percy Jackson world. In fact, I have already ordered the books to see what happens next! I was completely bowled over by this show, and I must admit, even though I thought it would be a good night, I had no idea just how much I would fall head over heels for it!

WE SCORE THE LIGHTNING THIEF...