Rising West End star Joaquin Pedro Valdes opens up about his journey from the Philippines to the heart of London’s theatre scene on Queerly’s Stage and Screen Podcast. Valdes, who is set to play Luke in ‘The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical’ at The Other Palace, shares insights into his career and the excitement surrounding his latest role.
Valdes’ UK theatre journey began with the Miss Saigon tour in 2018, a decision that changed the course of his career. “I looked to my partner and I said, should I take this job from Miss Saigon? And she goes, well, you’re going to go to drama school to get a job like that,” Valdes recalls. This leap of faith led to a transformative experience, as he describes: “Miss Saigon and touring and being uprooted from everything I knew as comfort and familiarity and life in Manila was my drama school.”
The actor’s gratitude for the UK theatre scene is palpable. “There’s a sense of gratitude that I take with me, because this is a kind of structure and industry and business that we don’t have in my country back home,” Valdes explains. This appreciation has fuelled his success in various West End productions, including ‘Heathers’ and ‘Death Note’.
Now, Valdes is gearing up for his role in ‘The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical’, running at The Other Palace from 22 November 2024 to 2 March 2025. He enthusiastically shares, “It’s so faithful to the original material, to the books, but also it takes it to the musical theatre world and all of the trimmings and the spectacle and the magic of it.”
Describing his character Luke’s journey, Valdes offers a tantalizing glimpse into the show’s emotional depth: “The friendship that Percy and Luke have is real. There’s a lot of love there, which is really, really heartbreaking and painful when someone you love dearly goes the opposite way.”
Valdes’ excitement for the production is contagious. When asked what audiences can expect, he exclaims, “book it, book for one date and then get your tickets for the next one. Bring your whole family. I think it’s going to be so fun… There’s going to be magic. It’s going to be epic.”
You can hear more about Joaquin Pedro Valdes’ inspiring journey and ‘The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical’ on Queerly’s Stage and Screen Podcast below.
Don’t miss the chance to see Joaquin Pedro Valdes in ‘The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical’ at The Other Palace, running from 22 November 2024 to 2 March 2025. Tickets are available now here.