Review: THE LIGHTNING THIEF - THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL, The Other Palace
Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is a fantastically fun adaptation of Rick Riordan’s best-selling novel, currently making its UK debut at The Other Palace.
Adapted by Joe Tracz, with music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, this production wonderfully expresses the struggles of youth and not knowing where you fit in. Directed and choreographed by Lizzi Gee, the time flies by as we go on a dynamic and educational journey into the world of the Greek Gods and their children. The Lightning Thief is visually exciting. There is clever set design, which transforms cages into a minotaur and some fabulously furry costumes by Ryan Dawson Laight. There are also some brilliant visual effects using projections designed by Duncan Mclean and illusionist Richard Pinner.
The pop-rock songs are energetic and upbeat but are ultimately quite similar and predictable. There is an interesting noughties undertone reminiscent of Fall Out Boy or Wheatus, which captures the spirit of teenage angst. Percy gets his ‘I Want’ moment as lead Max Harwood belts out ‘Lost Boy’ and Joe Allen brings the comedy as Mr D. during ‘Another Terrible Day.’ There are ample moments for the ensemble to demonstrate their power, commitment and danceability, especially during the rousing closing numbers of both acts. The opening number ‘The Day I Got Expelled’ attempts to pack multiple chapters into a few minutes to set up the story and unfortunately, this is not the end of the pacing issues.
Titled The Lightning Thief, it feels at times that what should be central to the plot, the theft of Zeus’s lightning bolt, is secondary due to the large amount of source material there is to squeeze into just two and a half hours. Of course, fans of the book will want any adaptation to be true to the original story, but one feels there are certain plot points that could have been omitted to streamline the production. The songs focus on character development and exposition instead of storytelling, which leaves the show feeling unbalanced. As the first act ends, Percy and his best friend and satyr Grover and his rival Annabeth, daughter of goddess Athena, are only just heading off on their quest to retrieve the bolt and stop a war between the gods. The second half then feels rushed as the trio journey across the USA and into the underworld to save the day and the reveal of the true thief is breezed over.
The cast is led by Max Harwood, who got his big break playing Jamie New in the film version of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, another coming-of-age story. This time, Harwood discovers and embraces his identity as a demi-god, the son of Poseidon. Harwood’s performance as Percy is full of youthful, nervous energy as he struggles with his dyslexia and ADHD, and learns the reason for it. His confidence and power quickly begin to grow, and he delivers a stellar performance. He is joined by Scott Folan and Jessica Lee as Grover and Annabeth, and the lead trio have great chemistry. Lee shows off her vocals during ‘My Grand Plan’ and Folan is superbly sensitive during ‘The Tree on the Hill.’ The ensemble are outstanding and multi-role brilliantly. Paisley Billings and Samantha Mbolekwa bring powerhouse vocals as does Joaquin Pedro Valdes who is underused as Luke.
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is a fast-paced and flawed but enjoyable addition to the growing number of book to stage musicals. For any fans of the book, this is a must see but more casual fantasy fans might get lost in the jam-packed plot and inconsistent pacing.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Sophie Luck
