The Percy Jackson Musical promises to be epic in more ways than one...

This year marks 20 years since the publication of The Lightning Thief - the first novel in the Percy Jackson And The Olympians series by Rick Riordan. Riordan's books have sold more than 180 million copies worldwide, and to commemorate the special anniversary, a musical adaptation of that first novel has set off on a UK tour.

The Percy Jackson stories have already been adapted into blockbuster films and a Disney+ TV series. The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, with a book by Joe Tracz and music & lyrics by Rob Rokicki, is the latest incarnation of the hit story. 

In it, New York teenager Percy learns that he is the half-blood son of the Greek god Poseidon. With newly discovered powers that he can't control, a destiny he doesn't want, a whole textbook’s worth of mythical monsters on his trail, and the future of the world hanging in the balance, Percy must learn what it means to be a hero, as he and his friends embark on an epic, edge-of-the-seat adventure.

Vasco Emauz is thrilled to be playing Percy: “I really love him as a character, and I think a lot of people will see themselves in him. Throughout our lives we've all felt misunderstood or lost. On his journey, Percy finds where he belongs and finds his value as someone who is worthy of love.

The actor sees a lot of himself in the character: “Like Percy, I'm also quite resilient, but when I was younger, I never felt like I had a place where I belonged, and I didn't really feel understood. Now that I'm a bit older, I'm a lot more self-assured and I know who I am.”

This is only Vasco’s second professional role. He previously played Marty McFly in Back To The Future The Musical at London's Adelphi Theatre. “It was a pipe dream to be in London doing musical theatre, let alone leading a whole show. Playing such an iconic character was beyond my wildest dreams. It was a blast!”

The Lightning Thief presents some new challenges - including mastering stage combat. “I've never toured before, and it's a whole different beast to doing a show in a static place. But that's exciting, and I can't wait to explore other parts of the country... I've never played with swords before, so that's a great new skill to learn. The fights look really cool.”

And is there a message amidst all the fun and spectacle of The Lightning Thief? “Definitely. Percy's mum sings a song where she says that 'normal' is a myth, and that everyone has their own issues to deal with, which is a beautiful lyric - and it's true. Everyone is different in their own way, so what’s normal anyway? Just be who you are and you will find your people and your place in the world.”
Vasco is joined on stage by Kayna Montecillo, playing Annabeth, and Cahir O’Neill, who takes the role of Grover. And, as is the case for Vasco, The Lightning Thief is also the second professional appearance for his two young co-stars.

Wise and fearless Annabeth is the daughter of Athena (the goddess of wisdom and warfare) and has been waiting for someone to take her on a quest. 

“When Percy turns up, she realises it's finally her moment,” Kayna explains. “She's very ambitious and smart, and she has confidence in her skill set. She expects a lot of herself, and she wants the best for herself - as do I.”

Kayna admits she wasn't much of a reader when growing up, so she first encountered the Percy Jackson universe through the films. “They got me into Greek mythology, which I found fascinating, and I loved the stories  -but most of all, I really loved the friendships.”

She made her debut in the revival of Starlight Express at the Troubadour Theatre in Wembley Park, where she had to hone her skating skills. "When I landed the job, I was so excited, but then I thought 'Oh God, I've got to be on roller skates for a year!’ I ended up having the most amazing time, and it made me so much stronger as a performer.”

The daughter of Filipino parents, Kayna adds: "One time there was a young Asian girl in the audience who was clearly so excited to see someone who looked like her on stage. Since then, I've strived to be a person that younger people can see in a show and be like 'If she looks like me and she's up there doing it, I can do it as well.'"

Kayna also hopes that The Lightning Thief will engage a young audience. “With Starlight Express, I remember seeing so many little kids in the audience, and their eyes would just light up every time they saw the set come down for the first time. It's going to be the same with The Lightning Thief, because the set is incredible. The costumes, the props and the puppetry make it magical, too.”

Co-star Cahir O'Neill concurs. “It's going to be pure magic, especially for young audiences. This kind of story is the foundation of them getting into musical theatre, and they're going to be blown away by it.”
Cahir plays Grover, who is Percy's satyr sidekick and protector. “But he's a bit different from the other satyrs, who are usually very cocky in the way they present themselves. Grover is the complete opposite. He's such a shy, loving, heartwarming character, and you can't help but fall in love with him.”

The Ireland-born actor was quite shy himself when he was a youngster, so his parents encouraged him to take up musical theatre to help bring him out of his shell. “It worked! My confidence has grown over the years, and now Grover is showing me how to become an even more open and optimistic person, because he always tries to find the good in every situation... I'd never have thought I would learn so much from a half-goat!”

Cahir had seen the films, but hadn't read the books before landing the role. “Then I read The Lightning Thief and found it so funny and just a delight. I couldn't put it down, and the musical adaptation takes it to a whole other level.”

Singing the praises of the musical's score - “vocally demanding, in the best possible way” - Cahir has also had a challenge getting used to the goat legs. 

“They're actually quite comfy, and there's a lot of padding in them, so during rehearsals people would sometimes lie on my legs and take little naps!”

He, too, sees the show as one that empowers people to express their differences. “It touches on individuals who feel like outsiders and who suffer from, say, ADHD or dyslexia. It says that there's no such thing as being normal. We get people telling us 'Percy Jackson has meant so much to me over the years, so now to have it come to my hometown is great, because I get to see it with my family and friends.' That's so wonderful to hear.”

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical shows at the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, from Tuesday 7 to Saturday 11 October, and at Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre from Tuesday 14 to Saturday 18 October. 
The production then returns to the region next year, showing at Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 24 to Saturday 28 February