The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical - Milton Keynes Theatre

The quest is about to begin with the first-ever UK tour of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, which comes to Milton Keynes Theatre until Sunday 7 September.

New York City teenager Percy Jackson doesn’t fit in school.  He has been getting in trouble and been expelled from six schools because he isn’t like other kids.  His mum decides to send him to summer camp – but its summer camp with a difference.  It’s a half blood camp for demi gods! Turns out that Percy is the half-blood son of the Greek God, Poseidon, and his life takes a dramatic turn as he is plunged into a world much bigger than he could possibly have imagined.  With newly discovered powers he is unable to control, an unwanted destiny and a whole textbook’s worth of mythical monsters on his trail, Percy must learn what it means to be a hero.  The future of the world hangs in the balance as Percy and his friends embark on a quest that will have you on the edge of your seat.  Based on the beloved book series (with over 180 million copies sold worldwide), Percy Jackson’s story has been adapted into both films and a major hit TV series for Disney+.  The musical first premiered off-Broadway in 2014 to rave reviews.

Vasco Emauz is the one and only Percy Jackson and he is just perfect for the role.  Vasco delivers a geeky, troubled teenager flawlessly and his voice is incredible.  He is joined by his best friend and everyone's favourite satyr sidekick, Grover, who is played by Cahir O’Neill.  Grover has been trying to protect Percy but knew who he was before Percy did.  Cahir makes the audience smile with his goat like way he speaks.  To complete the trio, they are joined by the wise and fearless Annabeth, played by Kayna Montecillo who is equally awesome and has an insane voice.

Niall Sheehy plays Mr Bruner who Percy knows from the school he was expelled from turns out to be a centaur teacher at the camp. I loved how the costume department dealt with a Centaur – Genius.  Niall has a lovely ‘proper middle-England’ accent for the teacher which works perfectly.  Aidan Cutler as Mr D, which is short for the God, Dionysus.  I loved his character and being not only the God of wine but the God of theatre, Aidan has the autonomy to be all he can be.  What a fun role to play.  Loved him.

The whole cast are amazing and I loved their voices when singing ensemble.  The songs are great and include Last Day Of Summer, The Campfire Song, Another Terrible Day and The Day I Got Expelled.  The dancing was tight and interesting and the story runs at a good pace (despite the huge story to fit in).  You don’t have to know the story of Percy Jackson or be an expert in Greek Mythology to love this show, and I think this could be bigger than Dear Evan Hansen and will definitely appeal to the under 30’s.  Saying that, I am not under 30 anymore and I loved it. One of my favourite scenes was the disco track, D.O.A. where the ferryman, Charon is in full gold glitter and wants to promote their song. I also loved Hades – who was actually quite cool.

Paul Taylor-Mills (Producer) said: “We’re thrilled to bring Percy Jackson’s epic journey to more UK audiences following the success we’ve had in London.  This show is full of energy, humour, and heart—whether you're a long-time fan or new to the world of Camp Half-Blood, you’re in for an unforgettable adventure.”

If you are looking for an epic adventure, look no further than Milton Keynes Theatre.  The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is at Milton Keynes Theatre until 7 September.