Death Note: The Musical is currently running at the Barbican in London, marking its second engagement in the city. The production previously had a short run at the Palladium and Lyric theatres in 2023.
The musical is an adaptation of the Japanese manga series, which began in 2003 and has since sold millions of copies in various forms, including comic books, novels, an animated TV series, feature films, and a 2017 Hollywood treatment.
The stage adaptation, with music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy, and a book by Ivan Menchell, streamlines the original material. It focuses on the central conflict between schoolkid Light (Xander Pang), detective L (Colin Ryan), and pop princess Misa (Stephanie Zaharis).
The show features athletic dance moves, forced-perspective sets, back projections, and sliding stage elements. Telly Leung and Grace Mouat provide supporting performances as the deities Ryuk and Rem.