Growing up in Portugal, Vasco Emauz has Percy Jackson to thank for teaching him English. He saw the 2005 Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief movie first but then his brother told him that he should read the Rick Riordan book on which it was based, since the film was only a very loose interpretation of it.

            “So I read it and I just got obsessed,” Vasco recalls. “I went on to read the Portuguese versions of all the books in the series, then when I fell behind on the translations I sat with a dictionary next to me and started reading the English versions. I loved them so much that I couldn’t wait for the next Portuguese translation to be released. That’s basically how I learned English.”

           
Heading off on a UK tour to mark the 20th anniversary of the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical has a book by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki. “And they’ve poured so much love for the story and characters into the adaptation,” the actor says. “It makes for such a brilliant adventure on stage. It’s a coming-of-age story for Percy, a hero’s journey, and full of fantastic fight scenes.”

            Riordan’s books have sold more than 180 million copies worldwide, with the musical (which premiered Off-Broadway, toured the US and broke records when it played at The Other Palace in London’s West End) taking its plot from the first tale in the ongoing saga.

            In it, New York teenager Percy learns that he is the half-blood son of the Greek god Poseidon and his life takes a dramatic turn. 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.

            The show’s young star is thrilled to be playing Jackson, saying: “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 maybe felt misunderstood or lost. On his journey Percy finds where he belongs and finds his value as someone who is worthy of love.”

            Vasco applauds Jackson’s resilience and determination. “He doesn’t let anything stop him from achieving his goals,” the actor says, adding that he sees a lot of himself in the character. “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.” He smiles. “Now I’m a bit older, I’m a lot more self-assured and I know who I am.”

            This is only his second professional role, after he landed the lead as 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 theater, let alone leading a whole show,” he beams. “Playing such an iconic character was beyond my wildest dreams and it was a blast.”

            Asked what challenges The Lightning Thief presents, Vasco says: “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.” Then there’s the stage combat he’s had to master. “I’ve never played with swords before, so that’s a great new skill to learn. The fights look really cool.”

            Bringing young audiences into theatres, he feels, is really important because: “Theatre can be a great tool for looking at the world and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.”

            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 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 is actually normal anyway? Just be who you are and you will find your people and your place in the world.”

            The Percy Jackson stories have been turned into blockbuster films and a hit Disney+ TV series. “But the musical brings the story to life in a unique way that is so youthful and fun,” says Kayna Montecillo, who plays Annabeth in the stage version.

            The wise and fearless Annabeth is the daughter of Athena (aka the goddess of wisdom and warfare) and has been waiting patiently for someone to come along and take her on a quest. “And when Percy turns up she realises it’s finally her moment,” says Kayna, who admires the character’s drive. “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.”

            She also sees Annabeth as a role model, saying: “She’s such a strong woman. If there’s anyone young girls would want to look up to, it’s always going to be someone who is strong and confident in themselves.”

            Growing up in Burgess Hill, Kayna admits she wasn’t much of a reader, 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.”

            Like Vasco, this is only her second professional job. 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’. But I ended up having the most amazing time and it made me so much stronger as a performer.”

            The daughter of Filipino parents 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 is looking forward to her first tour and doing some exploring. “I love walking around towns and cities, seeking out coffee shops and vintage clothes shops.” She laughs. “Well, I have too many clothes already so I might have to give the vintage shops a miss.”

            She agrees about the importance of bringing young people into theatres: “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 as well, 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,” he says of the musical, “especially for young audiences. These kind of stories are the core foundation of them getting into musical theatre, and they’re going to be blown away by it.”

            He 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,” Cahir points out. “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,” he smiles. “My confidence has grown over the years, and now Grover is showing me how to become an even more open and more optimistic person, because he always tries to find the good in every situation.” He smiles again. “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.”

            As with his co-stars, this is only Cahir’s second professional job. He was a swing in [title of show] at Southwark Playhouse. “So to go from that to a leading supporting role is so exciting and it’s also my first tour. I moved to London three years ago and there are so many places I haven’t visited yet. And for audiences I know how special it is to have these shows come to your hometown because not everyone has the funds or the access to see things in London.”

            Singing the praises of the musical’s score, he says it’s “vocally demanding in the best possible way”. He’s also had to get used to the goat legs. “But 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, and 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.”