The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical
Scott Morgan at The Hippodrome, Birmingham
If you're completely brand new to the world of Percy Jackson like I was before even seeing this show, let me tell you, this is a brilliant musical for all the family.
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is a stage adaptation of Rick Riordan's novel about Percy Jackson. The book was first published back in 2005 and has since been adapted into films and a hit TV series.
The story follows Percy Jackson, a seemingly ordinary teenager who discovers he's the son of Poseidon. After being sent a summer camp for the children of Greek gods, he meets Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, a satyr and loyal friend. Together, they embark on a quest to retrieve Zeus' stolen lightning bolt and prevent a war among the gods.
While watching I found that the show was consistently full of energy but did feel like the plot occasionally took a backseat with the amount of songs throughout. The energy never dips though with the cast giving their all throughout amongst fight scenes, big vocal numbers and catchy choreography.
Every single member of the cast gets their moment during the show. Vasco Emauz was fantastic in lead role, bridging both emotion and comedy into a greatly layered performance.
Kayna Montecillo shines as Annabeth, bringing an energetic presents to the stage with her spellbinding choreography. Cahir O'Neill makes the role of Grover his absolute own with a new mixture of comedy and heart.
International drag queen star Danny Beard will blow you away with how they always make the most of their time on stage while playing the role of Mr. D.
Overall It's a lot to pack into a two-hour musical but the show packs in a mix of humour, adventure and outstanding music, all while making sure the main plot of the book stays on track. This is another great family favourite to add to the must see list.
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is on at The Birmingham Hippodrome until Saturday 28th February 2026. Tickets here.