The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Musical
Birmingham Hippodrome | Tues 24 February 2026 ‘til Sat 28 February, then on tour
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review by David Gray & Paul Gray
“A big, bold, and hugely enjoyable, family-friendly show.”
The Percy Jackson book series is aimed at children and young teenagers. So, it is not surprising that – while this family-friendly show has enough going on to keep adults interested – it is probably best viewed through the eyes of a child. And there were a huge number of children present in the audience, all of whom seemed to be revelling in the sheer fun and joy of the storytelling.
Everything about the show is BIG – the music, the singing, the acting, the choreography, some of the costumes, the sets – in the way that things aimed at children have to be captured to retain their attention. And this is not a bad thing: particularly when it comes to big ideas; of which the show is packed-full.
All of the teenage characters are dealing, in their own very distinctive ways, will loss and abandonment. They are all products of broken homes. They are all of mixed heritage (both the Gods and the humans) and each struggles with a sense of identify and belonging. They are all challenged by their own monsters – metaphorical and psychological. And they are all on the cusp of having to find their own way in a frightening world. It is very current!
A lively and keenly fashioned script by author Joe Tracz acknowledges these big ideas, while not getting too bogged down. Its primary focus is of telling the story and keeping things moving along.
The lyrics are crisp and witty. The grungy, rock-lite music won’t comply with you out of the theatre on the finish of the present, nevertheless it does serve the drama very effectively and packs an emotional punch when wanted. There is a number of through-composition, so all the pieces flows with an effectivity that’s considerably like verismo opera. And a number of the extra absurd components of the plot are given such an intensive musical glossing that they go virtually unnoticed.
The younger solid are an absolute pleasure. They handle to behave into the hugeness of all of it, and with a lot conviction that they completely persuade their viewers. The vocal ensemble is flawlessly tight. And the three lead characters share terrific chemistry. Vasco Emauz has an impressive voice with a very distinctive timbre and many color. He takes the numerous vocal challenges of the rating in his stride – notably the emotionally climactic ‘Good Kid’ music. Kayna Montecillo is equally spectacular because the character Annabeth. While Cahir O’Beill is delightfully heat and fascinating as Grover.
Simple but visually arresting set design ensures that the motion maintains momentum, and that the power by no means flags.
This is a vastly pleasurable present: uncomplicated, not notably profound, and perhaps typically a bit unrelenting in its “bigness”. But then, I suppose you’ll be able to’t get an excessive amount of of BIG factor.
Cast
Percy Jackson – Vasco Emauz
Annabeth – Kayna Montecillo
Grover – Cahir O’Neill
Mr D – Danny Beard
Gabe & others – Joseph Connor
Clarisse & others – Ellie-Grace Cousins
Luke & others – Paolo Micallef
Sally Jackson & others – Simone Robinson
Mr Brunner & others – Niall Sheehy
Creatives
Book – Joe Tracz
Music & Lyrics – Rob Rokicki
Director & Choreographer – Lizzi Gee
Sets & Costumes – Ryan Dawson Laight
Lighting – Tim Deiling
Sound – Dan Samson
Video – Matt Powell
Musical Director – Will Joy
