Review: The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical (HOME Manchester / UK tour)

Review by Jack McCabe

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Over the past twenty years, Percy Jackson has become a phenomenon across the world, starting with Rick Riordan’s best-selling novel in 2005 and developing into a series of books, two films, a TV series, and along the way a musical. The show premiered off-Broadway in 2014 and made its UK debut a decade later. Now, it is on tour and playing at Manchester’s HOME theatre; will this musical be as godly as the characters it follows, or does the story of Poseidon’s son dampen the spirits?

Percy Jackson is a 16-year-old boy living in New York City who struggles to fit in. He is repeatedly expelled from schools and struggling with ADHD and dyslexia. After an unusual incident on a school trip, he discovers he is the son of Poseidon, and what follows is a tale of identity, friendship, and loyalty, underpinned by a lively pop-rock score. The story is taken from the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, which clearly has a huge following amongst young people, given how many excited children were at the performance and how mesmerised they were throughout.

The first thing you notice on walking into the auditorium is the incredible set design by Ryan Dawson Laight, which immediately immerses you into the world using large moveable set pieces, scaffolding, and props which are frequently reconfigured in front of the audience to transform into the different places Percy visits on his quest. The movement of the set in front of the audience adds to the sense of motion, adventure, and excitement present from the opening number until the final bows. This story requires the audience to engage their imagination for a couple of hours, a task made so much easier by the inspired set design.

Ryan Dawson Laight was also responsible for the costume design, which was a blend of contemporary American teen style and mythological dress to fit each of the characters in the story. The decision to dress Percy and the other demigods in everyday clothing so that they could be contrasted with the mythical creatures and Gods who are represented by imaginative, striking, and exaggerated costumes was a brilliant one. The costumes struck the right balance between engaging imagination without overwhelming the audience. The costume and set were complemented by striking lighting from Tim Delling, with the use of projections a particular highlight. Hidden throughout the production are well-designed illusions by Richard Pinner, which genuinely had the audience gasping in shock. I love seeing magic in theatrical productions, and this was an example of how to do it properly, blending it seamlessly into the show to catch the audience off guard.

All of these features were directed by Lizzi Gee, who keeps a high level of energy and fast pace throughout with imaginative choices, and in a way that deals well with shifting tones and a lot of content to fit into two hours. She also choreographed the show with high-octane and cohesive numbers, which thrilled the audience from the children all the way through to the grown-ups.

The music and lyrics are by Rob Rockicki and have a real pop-rock vibe to them, which fits in perfectly with the coming-of-age aspect of this production. Whilst they are not songs that will stick in the head for a month after seeing them, they are catchy, enjoyable, and fun. ‘D.O.A’ is a particular standout track, brilliantly written and performed to perfection by Simone Robinson; the song is hilarious and has the audience tapping their feet throughout. It sometimes feels as if the story is slightly rushed and the musical numbers were prioritised to the detriment of the narrative, which had the effect of not necessarily covering each aspect of the story in as much detail as possible. This story is such fertile ground for character development, and it would be great to get to know a few of the characters a bit better, owing to how fantastically they were played.

Vasco Emauz is excellent as the titular character, and his performance was engaging, high-energy, and vocally brilliant. He balances the vulnerability and adolescence of Percy wonderfully with the emergence of his powers. His performance is incredibly charming, and he brings real heart to the role. The audience had the pleasure, when I attended, of seeing Alex Anderton understudy the role of Grover for, and it really was a pleasure. He was funny, heartfelt, and truly made the role his own, with the audience eating out of the palm of his hand throughout, which is such a testament to how valuable understudies are in the theatre.

Kayna Montecillo completes the heroic trio in her role as Annabeth, in a strong performance bringing unwavering determination, leadership, and a blazing personality to the table. Montecillo has an impressive vocal range and shines whenever she is on stage with a measured performance of a character who is sharp and powerful, without reducing her to a one-dimensional cliché. The chemistry between Percy, Grover, and Annabeth is palpable, not least because of how brilliantly those roles are acted, resulting in the audience truly engaging in their story.

The role of Mr. D is played by Drag Race star Danny Beard, who brings comedy to their performance of the grumpy god of wine and drama. From the moment they walk on stage, they have the audience in stitches with sharp delivery and brilliant expressions. It’s very easy to see why they have been chosen to portray this larger-than-life character. Oddly, they did not join in with the dancing of the rest of the cast, but that could have been for a variety of reasons, and it did not detract too much from the performance. If anything, it would have been great to see his character develop a bit more.

Simone Robinson gives a truly heroic, stand-out performance as Sally Jackson, Medusa, and Charon. Her performance of D.O.A is a highlight of the show, and she is consistently able to give scene-stealing moments regardless of which character she is playing. Her vocal range is impeccable, and her characterisations are a thing of brilliance.

I was not sure what to think when I walked into a theatre whose audience was dominated by children who had come to see this musical; however, I now realise it is because this story that means so much to them. That was evident from their utter joy throughout, and it is easy to see why. The Lightning Thief is a great musical, limited only by the want for the space to explore the story in more detail. A high-energy adventure that combines Greek myths with pop-rock songs to create a memorable and really enjoyable show.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical plays at HOME Manchester until February 21^st and continues its UK tour until March 21^st

For tickets and information visit https://percyjacksonmusical.com/uk-tour/

Photos by Mark Senior