Death Note: The Musical Opens World Premiere Run at London's Barbican Theatre

Death Note: The Musical begins its world premiere full theatrical run at London's Barbican Theatre today, July 30. The 50-performance engagement runs through September 12 and marks the first fully staged Western production of the musical adaptation of Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata's iconic manga.

From Manga Page to Musical Stage

The musical features a score by Tony, Grammy, and Emmy-nominated composer Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Jack Murphy and a book by Ivan Menchell. While the show previously had runs in Japan and South Korea back in 2015, and a concert version played London's West End in 2023, this Barbican engagement is the first complete theatrical staging outside Asia - bringing a newly revised production to international audiences.

The story follows the familiar cat-and-mouse thriller at the heart of the franchise: brilliant student Light Yagami discovers a supernatural notebook with the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it, setting off a battle of intellect and morality against the elusive detective known only as L.

An International Cast

Xander Pang leads the production as Light Yagami, with Colin Ryan taking on the role of detective L. Broadway and television veteran Telly Leung portrays the shinigami Ryuk, while Stephanie Zaharis plays Misa Amane. Grace Mouat rounds out the supernatural contingent as Rem, and Paolo Montalban plays Light's father, Soichiro Yagami.

Leung has noted that the production blends inspiration from the anime, the original manga, and previous screen adaptations while forging its own theatrical identity through contemporary stagecraft. The creative team behind that vision includes director Stephen Whitson, Olivier Award-associated choreographer Fabian Aloise, set designer Jon Bausor, and musical supervisor Jason Howland handling orchestrations.

Production and Venue Details

The show is produced by HoriPro - the Japanese entertainment company with deep ties to the property - alongside Trafalgar Theatre Productions, presented in association with the Barbican. The runtime clocks in at approximately two hours and twenty minutes, including a twenty-minute interval.

Tickets are available from £34 for standard seating, with accessible pricing starting at £29. The Barbican is also offering BSL-interpreted, audio-described, and captioned performances across the run, and the production carries a 12+ age guidance given its mature themes.

A Franchise That Keeps Expanding

The stage adaptation adds another format to Death Note's already sprawling media footprint. Originally serialized in Shonen Jump, Ohba and Obata's manga spawned a celebrated 37-episode anime series produced by Madhouse in 2006, multiple live-action Japanese films, a Japanese television drama, and a 2017 Netflix film. The musical's arrival in London's theatre district signals continued global appetite for the franchise more than two decades after the manga's debut.

With 50 performances scheduled through mid-September, this Barbican run will serve as a proving ground for any potential future transfers or touring productions.