The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

The 2026 UK Tour of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical rolled into Peterborough’s New Theatre this week, bringing with it a larger than life adventure that blends mythology, humour and rock-driven music into a fast-paced journey for all. At the centre of the story is sixteen year old Percy Jackson, whose life is turned upside down when he discovers he is not quite as ordinary as he once believed. Thrown into a world of ancient Gods, monsters and prophecies, Percy soon finds himself embarking on a dangerous quest alongside his friends Grover and Annabeth.

The show's hugely talented cast is led by Vasco Emauz as the title character, alongside Kayna Montecillo's Annabeth and Cahir O’Neill's Grover. The trio work wonderfully together and their chemistry forms the emotional backbone of the production. Montecillo’s Annabeth delivers a slightly drier, sharper humour that lands particularly well with the adults in the audience, while O’Neill’s Grover leans fully into a more playful, goofy energy that younger viewers clearly took delight in. Emauz ties the dynamic together perfectly as the show's centre piece, bringing a sense of determination and heart to the character that will be inspiring to the younger audiences. The three bounce off one another effortlessly, particularly when it comes to their musical performances. Individually, they all had a number of opportunities to shine vocally, but whenever the trio harmonised with one another, the songs would be taken to a whole new level.

Beyond the central trio, the wider cast brings tremendous versatility to the stage. Standout performances from Simone Robinson, Niall Sheehy and Ellie Grace Cousins in particular really contribute to making this a show to remember. Their roles are listed as Sally Jackson, Mr Brunner and Clarisse, respectively, but in reality each of them takes on multiple roles across the night, constantly shifting between characters and helping to populate Percy’s journey with figures from both myth and reality. Robinson provides a strong emotional centre whenever she appears, particularly in the more heartfelt moments of the story. Sheehy arguably has by far the widest range of character tones, moving between very different personalities with impressive ease and clarity while bringing some of the show’s funniest moments. Meanwhile, Cousins brings an infectious enthusiasm to the stage, throwing herself fully into every appearance and standing out in numerous scenes thanks to her boundless energy.

The production wastes no time immersing the audience in this mythological world, something that is helped enormously by the impressive set design from Ryan Dawson Laight and Christophe Eynde. The towering structure fills every inch of the stage and acts as a constantly shifting frame for the adventure. Through clever use of moving elements, the same core structure seamlessly transforms into a variety of locations throughout Percy’s journey, from school corridors to the depths of the Underworld and even the chaos of a cross country bus trip. There are even moments of clever prop puppetry and shadow work to create impressive moments that expand the scale of the story. This visual world is further elevated by Tim Deiling’s lighting design and projections, which add colour, atmosphere and movement throughout the production in the most captivating ways.