Pirate Productions Presents Youth-Led Percy Jackson Musical in Mamer

On Wednesday 12 November 2025, Chronicle.lu attended the dress rehearsal of Pirate Productions’ autumn show The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, which will run from Thursday 13 to Sunday 16 November at the Kinneksbond Centre Culturel in Mamer.

This English-language musical features two alternating casts, Bolt and Thunder, with the dress rehearsal performed by the Bolt cast. Based on Rick Riordan’s 2005 fantasy novel The Lightning Thief, which gained broader recognition through the 2010 film directed by Chris Columbus and is now part of a series being adapted for Disney+, the production incorporates many elements of Greek mythology.

The stage featured a bare setup, with an elevated black wooden platform for a four-piece live band that remained on stage throughout the musical and backed a variety of genres, including folk, soul, rock and several heartfelt ballads. Other elements included a minimalistic portable stair set, a couple of stools along with the central feature - a white screen with a rhombus-shaped icon in the middle that lit up in different colours during the show and occasionally displayed multimedia projections.

The rehearsal opened with the first song, “Prologue/The Day I Got Expelled”, which reflected the main themes of the show, addressing existential questions and the everyday struggles young people face. It began with a smaller cast before the full ensemble joined, culminating in a solo by the main character, Percy Jackson, played by Leo Gomez-Rudulfo Li.

Alternating with music and conversations between his family, fellow students, teachers and various “strange creatures”, the scene quickly set the dynamic and energy of the production.

The quality of the technical production, such as the variety of colourful lights, the crystal clear sound from the excellent acoustics and high-quality audio system, as well as the fog machine for special effects smoothly led through the scenes. At the same time, the cast’s clear diction, strong vocals and confident acting were in the spotlight.

“Another Terrible Day” got the public laughing with Dionysus (also known as Mr D), played by Dustin Andersen, who is also one of the show’s producers. In this number, Dionysus offers questionable life advice to Percy, leaving the main character even more confused as he searches for his truth and a sense of belonging in the world.

The storyline leads to Camp Half-Blood, where most of the events unfold, developing themes of heroism, bravery and grief. There, Percy is joined by other young peers who face similar confusions in life. The characters encounter “magical” situations and interact with mythological creatures, Greek gods and other teenagers dealing with similar challenges. Luke, the camp counsellor, played by Giorgio Palmisano, shares that he also “comes from a dysfunctional family”, while another girl explains her ADHD.

Talking with Chronicle.lu, Claire Williams shared that Rick Riordan’s son had dyslexia and ADHD, and there was no young people’s literature that represented neurodiverse kids. “He started writing the books for him,” she said. “As a drama teacher, I remember that in the early 2000 we were just becoming aware of ADHD, while dyslexia was already on the radar.”

The first set already filled the auditorium with energy but the second one with the journey to the underworld and the Campfire Song featuring “Oh, things couldn’t be worse, when your parents run the universe” exploded with even greater intensity, keeping it up until the very end of the show.

This is Pirate Productions’ first show led by youth, featuring a cast of 45 with more than 30 young performers and many students in off-stage roles, including assistant director, assistant musical director and assistant choreographer, as well as make-up, lighting and stage management.

Claire Williams noted the energetic atmosphere of working with young performers, saying that “when you’ve got 60 young people in a room, it’s noisy,” whereas adults tend to stay focused for longer. She explained that this energy shaped the rehearsal atmosphere.

The production will feature evening performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 19:30, as well as matinee performances on Saturday and Sunday at 15:00.

Tickets, priced at €29 for adults and €17 for students, are available online at www.pirateproductions.lu, via email at tickets@pirates.lu and via tel.: 356-339. The show runs for two hours and 20 minutes, with each act lasting 55 minutes and a 30-minute intermission.

EO