Review by Simon Jenner, September 30 2025
★ ★ ★ ★
Bring on the monsters! Joe Tracz and Rob Rokicki started with the premise that demigods (sorry, half-bloods) have had a raw deal. Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson novels, particularly the first, weren’t given faithful treatment on film. So this musical of the first book which gives the show its title is far more faithful to the original. The Lightning Thief directed and choreographed by Lizzi Gee plays at Theatre Royal Brighton till October 4th.
Half-bloods, uber-smart girls, intuitively magical boys in a coming-of-age discovery of hidden powers. Weird no-one’s ever thought of putting all that into seven novels before now. Gods behaving badly perhaps. It’s a strange piece but how the audience love it – so many catching jokes like one-liners they’ve heard all their lives. And they have since this 2005 novel and (so far) six sequels has spawned a cult following. And this production boasts, beyond blazing performers, Ryan Dawson Laight’s magnificent set, effects and costumes, which do so much of the featherweight story’s heavy-lifting.
Cahir O’Neill, Vasco Emauz and Kayna Montecillo. Photo Credit: Johan Persson
Originally an hour-long 2014 vehicle The Lightning Thief was expanded 2017 to two; and tweaked several times, notably for this tour. Tracz’s distillation of plot paints it in primary (school) colours, underscoring the coming-of-age themes in neon. Rokicki’s pop-rock score with (he adds) overtones of Bruce Springsteen and Holst’s Planets is certainly attractive in a loud way. Though only in the final number ’Bring on the Monsters’ is it truly catchy.
At first sight the sheer kookiness of The Lightning Thief makes you think of darker musicals like Heathers, or Bad Intentions, both seen here recently. It’s not in fact as vicious as either of these, and all the better for it. What its morals rather screechingly underscore in so many lines is the importance of moral action; and finding your parents means finding yourself. Going on a quest to discover who stole Zeus’ lightning, guessing who your god-um-father is (easy, though not faithful to mythology!) might seem flimsy; but it’s fun and a bit foundation-myth too.
In the broadest sense this musical like the book addresses the broken and abandoned childhood of many, the sociological and personal damage wrought by the world where “life is unfair” (clunky soundbites throughout): so much so that you’re made to suffer cliché on cliché. There is a point to all this, the shrouded godheads and abilities as well as origins we never knew we all had. And making the right choices. From a disillusioned 2005, it’s an oblique comment on profound disaffection amongst (then young) Millennials. Nothing’s changed in the U.S. then; or just everything.
Dawson Laight’s spectacular set and stage effects frame a classy production with extremely high values. The blue-brown interior one shrewd observer likened to Eagle comics way back. There’s splashes of orange lighting too. But there’s the most restless staging of effects I’ve seen, all blocked and given superb moments, like a weathergirl being beaten back in a windstorm. It lasts 15 seconds, but it’s this attention to detail that makes this one of the best-blocked and best-staged productions I’ve seen recently.
There’s the U-shape seen in section end-on – suggesting a ship as much as underground, where we start in New York. With props and Tim Deiling’s remarkable lighting, this is one of the most dazzling sets I’ve seen for a long time too – and on a tour to boot. There’s four great effects: the red-eyed Minotaur monster at the start, the exploding Greyhound bus, the grisly slice-through of a flashing green Medusa-head and finally the summoning of a tsunami, with plenty of smoke effects and explosive streamers that go everywhere. And there’s more, though I won’t spoil it. It really is special. Dawson Laight also designs the OTT costumes: gods demigods helmets and humans. Naturally the gods are outré. It’s in their DNA. All is helped by Matt Powell’s inventive video projection. DOA Records is a highpoint of wink. Who’d guess that Hades’ portal was in an LA music store? And there’s puppets too (Laura Cubitt’s domain, and fascinating). Shout out for fight director Lisa Connell too. There’s real fire in the swordfights and generally martial ballet of war.
Dan Sampson’s sound ensures for the most part a punchy acoustic, though voices were occluded on occasion. Will Joy leads a punchy band too.
The Company. Photo Credit: Johan Persson
Vasco Emauz has the right spark as Percy Jackson: you believe his ardent tenor preppiness, a mix of bewildering and vulnerability. His timbre is just right. In company with all the cast, and general playing-out, it’s just a bit too voluble, but you can’t fault the phenomenal energy and heart of all these performers. Kayna Montecillo, playing Annabeth, Emily Watson-smart daughter of Athena, literally punches above her weight and sings with a stratospheric energy. She’s also one of the deftest movers on the floor and in fight direction: she makes a warm friend under the fierceness, believably fizzing with strategies. Cahr O’Neill beings a cooler hangdog approach to his Grover, his hapless wrong-footing betraying Pan as his flaw-footed quickstep parent. The production and energised straitjacket of these gifted performers has nowhere to find a little light and shade. They’re terrific, though on occasion try too hard. That’s down to Gee not letting more quiet through.
That’s true too of Ellie-Grace Cousins, who as Clarisse daughter of Aries lamenting her absent father, puts on a fierce face to counter Montecillo. All fireworks, she’s believably not just daughter of the war-god, but desperate to prove she can lay waste the earth too.
Aidan Cutler’s Mr D is a bravura camp commandant as it were, emitting sardonic faux-weary fun. Paolo Micallef impresses as the warm bro mentor Luke, exuding goodwill and something else.
Simone Robinson’s Sally Jackson is warm, believable and relatable It’s good to have her presence to still the swirling of that demi-god peer group. Similarly, Niall Sheehy impresses particularly as Mr Brummer carrying resonant authority and an anchoring in his baritonal cut-through of the sometimes shrill voices around him. You’re not surprised he’s resident director. His demeanour reminds you subliminally of Anthony Head in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
There’s fine glinting solos from Alex Anderton, Abe Armitage, Joseph Connor, Ellouise Delooze, Becca Francis and Amy McEvoy.
If you know The Lightning Thief, this is a must-see. If you don’t and can bear the volume – and enjoy musicals – this is thoroughly entertaining. There’s talents you’ll want to see and hear. And a stunning set whose production values spring surprises for the audience too. I’m not telling you what. Go and enjoy. Highly recommended.
Orchestration Wiley Deweeese and Rob Rokicki, Music Supervisor Jeremy Wootton. Illusions Richard Pinner, Assistant Director & Choreographer Philip Catchpole.
The Company. Photo Credit: Johan Persson
