An immersive experience of Camp Half-Blood that any Percy Jackson fan would enjoy.
As a long-time fan of Rick Riordan’s books, I went into this musical not knowing much beforehand apart from the story. I was sceptical, thinking it may have been an unnecessary or unfaithful adaptation, but I was pleasantly surprised. The songs are not my favourite of all time, but it created another interesting way to get involved with Greek mythology. It is definitely created for people who already love Percy Jackson and there are plenty of nods and references to the source material such as blue food, Pan’s disappearance or dam snacks that might go over the head of any newcomers.
On the whole, the show is aimed towards younger viewers, with some of the humour verging on silly at some points (particularly in the portrayal of Poseidon). Although the fantasy series is primarily written for children, it does touch on themes important for the whole family. This musical is very fun for the most part but there is some balance which is best executed in Grover’s emotional Act 2 song about Thalia, ‘The Tree on the Hill’.
Cahir O’Neill as Grover was perfectly cast, and Alex Anderton as Mr D was great at balancing the wit of ‘Another Terrible Day’ whilst contributing a lot to the story. What also worked really well was the fight choreography. The entire ensemble had so much to do, portraying all the necessary characters without getting the credit of each and every single one. There also must have been a lot of quick changes to tackle, but it was entirely smooth from the perspective of the audience.
The reveal of Grover’s goat legs came as a disappointment, being a good shape but much bigger than the actor wearing them. An alternative solution might have been to have some form of knee breeches that kept a slimmer silhouette on the lower leg. Chiron’s padded lower half was far better executed, especially for a one-person horse. The sewer inspired set design didn’t entirely make sense, even though it was easy to transform and climb. This production relied heavily on projection to give a sense of place.
There of course needed to be a lot of effects to capture the magic of godly powers, the most seamless being the winged shoes levitating and Riptide changing from a pen to a sword. The storms were very convincing, and the lightning was blinding in the best possible way. The use of bubbles and foam rather than full jets of water (such as with the toilet) was a stage equivalent that really worked and added to the playful atmosphere.
For a two-hour show, it is crammed with just about every plot point needed to satisfy the fans. It is understandably fast paced, but the one thing that is unfortunately completely glossed over is the Lotus Casino. As one of the many musicals recently adapted from a book or film, it is one of the few that can not only be allowed to stay but encouraged to be seen.