Review: THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL, The Other Palace

“Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood”

Directed by Lizzi Gee, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an adaptation of the first book in the hit series by Rick Riordan, which follows Percy Jackson, a young boy who discovers that he is a demi-god, the son of Poseidon, and that he must stop a war between the gods by finding and returning Zeus’s master weapon, his lightning bolt. The musical adaptation, with a book by Joe Tacz and music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, brings Percy and the other characters to the stage 

Max Harwood stars as Percy, who finds himself in Camp Half-Blood, a safe space for demi-gods like himself, after losing his mother to the mythical beast known as The Minotaur. He is joined by his friend, Grover (Scott Folan), who is revealed to be a satyr (half-goat, half-man) and meets Annabeth (Jessica Lee), a daughter of Athena who dreams of going on her own heroic quest to make her mother notice her. Percy also finds a companion in Luke (the underutilised Joaquin Pedro Valdes), a son of Hermes who expresses bitterness over the gods ignoring their children. 

Harwood has some truly spectacular vocal moments, particularly in his solos including “Good Kid” and “Son of Poseidon.” In fact, some of the best parts of the show come not from its scenes of dialogue but when the performers are given the opportunity to show off their vocal skills. Samantha Mbolekwa and Paisley Billings give some truly fantastic performances that had me wanting to give them standing ovations for their numbers alone - especially Mbolekwa as Clarisse, the daughter of Ares, in “Put You In Your Place” and Billings as Charon, the ferryman of the Underworld (located at a record company in Los Angeles), belting out “D.O.A.”

Another highlight of the show is its comedy, particularly the one-liners typically given to Percy or Mr D (Joe Allen), the camp counselor at Camp Half-Blood who doesn’t like children. It truly shines when it leans into the same style of Riordan’s writing, which was meant for young people and is able to blend silly jokes with some serious topics like absent parents and war. My favourite number is one in Act Two, “Lost!,” in which our three heroes find themselves struggling to find their way through the woods after accidentally exploding a bus, which is a perfect example of what the musical could be if it leaned into the sillier aspects.

The weaker moments come when the show tries to be emotional, especially during musical numbers when it is difficult to hear the performers over the loud rock-and-roll style band. The one exception to this is Folan’s stellar performance of “The Tree on the Hill,” which gives some context to the motivations of characters and has a stunning moment using projection, designed by Duncan McLean. Another issue is how much the creative team is trying to fit into the two acts. There is a lot of story that is lost when one is condensing a novel, as proven by the incredibly disappointing movies that Riordan himself denounces. While fans might appreciate the references to characters like Silena Beauregard and Bianca di Angelo, these moments take up too much time when there should be more of a focus on the main trio. 

While the show has some interesting set concepts (especially when using effects provided by illusionist Richard Pinner), with a set designed by Ryan Dawson Laight, there are several missing moments of execution that keep the set as a whole from being truly effective. There are also two large hydraulic set pieces that are moved around by the cast throughout the show, letting out loud hissing noises every time they’re put into place, including the quieter moments. The way The Minotaur is depicted with set pieces is great, but the execution is poor, with a moment that impacts the rest of the show pretty much happening off-stage. The American accents are also not fantastic, which pulled me out of the show, especially when the characters are singing about being lost in the woods in New Jersey.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is a fun show with some standout performances, but it struggles to find itself while fitting the plot of the entire book - with references to others in the series - into two acts. If it fully embraced the campness it establishes in several numbers, matching the energy of the original book series, it could become something truly fantastic.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical runs until 2 February 2025 at The Other Palace.

Photo Credit: Manuel Harlan