"The things that make you different are the things that make you strong"

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

Written by Joe Tracz

Photo credit by Johan Persson

Reviewed by Kelly Smith.

When 16 year old Percy Jackson discovers that he is the half-blood son of the Greek God, Poseidon, his life takes a dramatic turn as he is plunged into an epic adventure much bigger than he could possibly have imagined, where the future of the world hangs in the balance.

Based on Rick Riordan’s 2005 book, The Lightning Thief introduces us to Percy Jackson, a New York teenager who has been expelled from several schools, has dyslexia and ADHD and finds out he is a demi god after being attacked by a mythical winged creature during a school trip to a museum. Are you keeping up? Good, this show is definitely for you!

When I walked into the auditorium of the Regent, the atmosphere was already buzzing, both literally and figuratively thanks to the crackles of electricity and thunder claps coming from the stage. No sooner had I taken my seat and the house lights were dimmed, the show burst into life. No opening monologue, no gentle easing in to the story, just straight-up action. Maybe because I wasn’t familiar with the source material, I struggled with such an immediate start and felt like it took me a little bit of time to warm up and settle into the story.

I’m not ashamed to say that the Percy Jackson books, films and Disney+ series had all passed me by. I definitely wasn’t their target audience when they were released and I’m confident in saying that I don’t fit the demographic for the musical either. That being said, as someone who very much appreciates pop-rock music, the music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki definitely drew me in and were a fantastic accompaniment to the pace and tone of the show.

The main three characters – Percy (Vasco Emauz), Annabeth (Kayna Montecillo) and Grover (Cahir O’Neill) – had a lovely chemistry between them, right down to the way their voices blended in harmony as they sung. My friend Mel and I both agreed that Grover was our favourite character from the show; he’s lovable, hilarious and reminded me of a cross between Olaf from Frozen, The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper and Shaggy from the live-action Scooby Doo movies.

If I could change anything, I’d swap the energy from the beginning of the show to the end as I was slightly disappointed in the finale. I was left feeling the story lacked a definitive conclusion and the energy went out with a whimper rather than a bang.

Overall, the show has real heart. It’s definitely one that families can enjoy together and carries a lovely message throughout – “The things that make you different are the things that make you strong”.

The Lightning Thief, The Percy Jackson Story is at The Regent Theatre until Saturday 11th October 2025.

For tickets go to https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-lightning-thief-the-percy-jackson-musical/regent-theatre/calendar/2025-10-09