REVIEW: THE LIGHNING THIEF - THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL @ NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE

🎭 The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical

📍 New Wimbledon Theatre, 93 The Broadway, Wimbledon, London, SW19 1QG

🗓 Tuesday 28th October 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A SLOW-BURNING THUNDERBOLT

As the latest Greek myth comes to the UK stage, hopes were high for this electric musical, playing this week at London's New Wimbledon Theatre, to take the audience on an epic journey. While it succeeds in moments of spectacle, this production unfortunately gets bogged down by a slow-moving story and an uninspired soundtrack.

Let's start with the songs. They often feel bland and unmemorable, with a samey pop-rock sound that fails to truly stick with you after you've left the theatre. I expect to be leaving the auditorium humming the tunes but this just didn't happen here. For a musical adaptation this is a major stumbling block, especially when the plot often feels convoluted and rushed, yet strangely slow paced.

The first act in particular is a hard watch. The book here is not good, with song lyrics being laughably bad. I personally became disengaged from the show really quickly. It seems that the production has aimed itself towards a younger audience, and completely forgets that there will be adults watching too.

At the interval I was thinking that the show would recieve a lower star rating than the one given but thankfully the second half was more palatable.

However, not all is lost in the world of the demigods. The cast is energetic and comimitted, helping to bring the larger-than-life story to the stage. Simone Robinson delivers a standout performance, providing some truly phenomenal vocals, though her talents feel underused at times.

Cahir O'Neill brings a much-needed comedic heart to proceedings as Grover, displaying excellent characterisation. Vasco Emauz competently leads the company as Percy Jackson, doing his best to give depth to the character when the book seems to forget to do so.

The set design is simple yet functional, and relies on minimal props. However, thanks to the stunning and truly amazing projections, the world is brought to life in spectacular fashion. This visual illusions elevate the production beyond its modest scale, creating moments of genuine wonder and magic. In my opinion, the show is worth the ticket price just to witness this majesty of creativity.

Ultimately, THE LIGHTNING THIEF - THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL is a show of two halves. While it boasts a dedicated cast and some incredible visual effects, the drag in the story and forgettable songs stop it from ever truly soaring.

I think that fans of the books will likely enjoy seeing the story on stage but others, like myself, may find themselves wishing for more excitement from this demigod adventure.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF - THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL continues performances at the New Wimbledon Theatre until Saturday 1st November. Click here to check availability and to book tickets.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical was gifted by New Wimbledon Theatre who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Vasco Emauz as Percy Jackson; Kaya Montecillo as Annabeth; Cahir O'Neill as Grover; Joseph Connor as Mr D and others; Ellie-Grace Cousins as Clarisse and others; Paolo Micallef as Luke and others; Simone Robinson as Sally Jackson and others; Niall Sheehy as Mr Brunner and others

Ensemble: Alex Anderton; Abe Armitage; Ellouise Delooze; Becca Francis; Amy McEvoy

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 15 minutes, including interval

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