Theatre
Review
Review: The Lightning Thief
The musical based on the Rick Riordan book is a thundercrack of a show
“So, the gods are real,” announce the company of The Lightning Thief, as the lights come up. “Like, the Greek gods.” The hilariously teenage attitude of Rick Riordan’s protagonists to the life or death stakes they’re constantly grappling with is one of the things that made the authors original novels so compelling, and The Lightning Thief at The Other Palace embraces this wholly. Godly parents and teen angst are a winning combination, joyfully explored in several pop, rock and folk-influenced numbers.
Based on Riordan’s 2005 novel of the same name, The Lightning Thief follows Percy Jackson, a twelve-year-old boy with dyslexia and ADHD who discovers that his differences stem from his unusual parentage – he’s the son of the Greek god Poseidon. Transported to Camp Half-Blood to train with other half-human, half-god young people, he’s soon recruited for a dangerous quest. Funny, warming and fast-paced, the show tugs at the heart of Riordan’s original story – these are kids who feel pushed aside, and who want to make their parents take notice.
The young protagonists are played with heart and warmth by the principal trio – Morgan Gregory as Percy, Angus Benstead as Grover and Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kellyas Annabeth – and all deliver the pop-rock score with fitting attack, Esin-Kelly being in particular a standout powerhouse. A hat tip also has to go multi role cast members Paisley Billings and Kenedy Small, who each take on a dizzying number of characters ranging from human to Gorgon to squirrel with total commitment.
It’s a rollercoaster of a watch, a ride that absolutely doesn’t slow down. The show’s dynamic design and the intimacy of The Other Palace allow for a level of immersion beyond the usual West End experience (there may or may not be a splash zone of sorts), and the energetic score guides us cleverly through a plot-heavy story. Rousing, joyous and unapologetically youthful, The Lightning Thief is a delight – and just might make you feel a little better about your own mummy/daddy issues.
