THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Photo: Johan Persson

Most of us grow up with comics, The Beano, The Dandy, The Eagle for my generation. It was the easy way to absorb fiction and non-fiction of all kinds, comedic, historic, dramatic and above all a world of myth, legend and fantasy. For many that love of the form continued and in the 1980s graphic novels appeared on the scene and they appealed not only to kids but to grown ups too when the content became more sophisticated and certainly more adult. Comics in all their manifestations seem to work. This is comic book made live!

Being a man of a “certain” age and with no children of my own, the phenomenon of Percy Jackson had passed me by. But on looking I soon discovered that the books and film had achieved cult status amongst teens of both genders. That in itself is quite an achievement and no doubt the reason that Theatre Royal Brighton was packed to the gills with excited young adults of both sexes. And that excitement never faded, from the first hefty chords to the final crash of guitars and drums there was little doubt that they would be on their feet cheering and clapping. That ovation was well earned, you could feel the energy coming off the stage from start to finish. This was a finely honed production where the coming together of off stage and on stage talent was abundantly obvious. Ryan Dawson Laight’s fabulous set was a masterpiece of ingenuity and vision and against it his urban streetwear and fantastic creatures worked beautifully and the whole is lit with fire by Tim Deiling, production values here are off the chart. And using that setting to full advantage is director and choreographer Lizzi Gee, it’s vibrant and pacy with exacting action for the entire company.

Cahir O’Neill, Vasco Emauz and KayNa Montecillo. Photo: Johan Persson

There are many stand out moments, many members of the cast playing multiple roles but in particular Niall Sheeney who can carry off those hooves with aplomb. Simone Robinson is a delight as Percy’s mom, and also belts out a fine number at DOA Records, she is far from dead on arrival. Cahir O’Neill is brilliant as Grover, such a charming performance that never once fails to entertain and Ellie-Grace Cousins is simply Fierce with that capital F.

Kayna Montecillo. Photo: Johan Persson

Kayna Montecillo is Annabeth and a feisty presence she is too, boundless energy and a raunchy voice that came into its own in the solo moments but was at times a little too over amplified, not her fault at all but an issue that throughout meant a loss of clarity in diction. No doubt when the team bed into TRB’s acoustic that will be adjusted, and maybe that’s just me being pedantic, after all this is a full on rock musical.

And on that note I turn to the songs, which I thoroughly enjoyed and some of which I can still remember. That in itself is a rarity these days with far too many shows being musically unmemorable. I will listen again for sure, and at this point a mention for the band who drove the whole forward with both force and precision.

Vasco Emauz. Photo: Johan Persson

So finally to our hero, Percy the halfblood offspring of Poseidon. From rebel school kid to reluctant hero Vasco Emauz has it all, he can act, dance and sing, wow, what a voice and on top of all that he has all the qualities to make him a glowing hero and, dare I say it, a teenage heartthrob. It’s a very genuine performance, a coming of age of course, laced with fallibility, nerves and discovery. He is a performer to watch and a name to look out for in the future.

So in the end did I like it? Well I was certainly entertained, even though I suspect I am not the target audience, and I left having enjoyed an evening of slick modern musical theatre, so what’s not to like?

Andrew Kay

30 September

Theatre Royal Brighton

Rating: