THE LIGHTNING THIEF | FESTIVAL THEATRE, EDINBURGH | UK TOUR
★★★
“An action packed romp from the start…”
Based on Rick Riordan’s The Lightning Thief, the first novel in Rick Riordan’s young adult fantasy-adventure series Percy Jackson & The Olympians, it’s quickly clear that this sparky, energetic musical adaptation knows and plays to its audience.
Meet 16-year-old Percy Jackson, a boy with dyslexia and ADHD, as he discovers he is the half-blood son of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. It’s a revelation that sees his life take a dramatic turn as he sets off on a quest to find his father and control his newly-found powers, which he really needs to do quickly as there’s a ‘whole mythology textbook’s worth’ of mythical monsters on his tail.
And so we enter a magical world of furies, centaurs, nymphs, satyrs, along the way meeting Medusa and the Minotaur, irritatingly pronounced ‘min-a-tor’ throughout, but then this is a musical that flies its slick, stylish off-Broadway origins proudly.
From the start it’s an action packed romp as Vasco Emauz vulnerable, yet always brave and charismatic hero begins his own personal odyssey, one that will take him from New York to Hades via summer camp, a bus journey to LA and visit to DOA Records. It’s a solid leading man performance that marks Emauz out as a talent to watch.
He’s accompanied through his trials by the equally impressive Kayna Montecillo, a strong and feisty Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Cahir O’Neill as Grover, a timid, big-hearted satyr. O’Neill boasts a nice line in physical comedy.
On Ryan Dawson Laight’s genius set, in which ancient Greece, steampunk and retro-stylings collide, director and choreographer Lizzi Gee never allows the pace to falter, although the production loses focus structurally in the second act as, in attempt to cram in Percy’s many adventures, the piece becomes almost a sung through concert rather than a piece of musical theatre.
Those songs, by Rob Rokicki, are on the whole strident but forgetful, with the exception of Good Kid, which really should be the Act 1 finale, and the fiercely empowering closing number, Bring On The Monsters – an anthem for today’s youth. Joe Tracz’ script meanwhile does a sterling job, raising laughs, cheers, and brief moments of sadness, ensuring the emotional roller-coaster that is Percy’s life never lingers in the dark for too long. On occasion, it is, however, indulgently introspective.
That said, lead performers aside, the real magic of this musical is provided by Tim Dealing and Matt Powell whose combined lighting and video design is quite spectacular. Weaving images, effects, colours and atmosphere together seamlessly, they bring the many worlds of this unique take on Greek mythology vividly to life, ensuring that, along with Laight’s set, it’s a magical experience that will capture the imaginations of young and old alike.
Edinburgh until 27 September. Full tour dates and tickets here.
