Death Note, the Musical-Manga at the Barbican

For many European viewers growing up in the 2000s, Death Note wasn't just a manga or anime series, but one of the moments when Japanese pop culture firmly entered the global imagination. Nearly twenty years after its international release, the story created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata is now coming to London in the form of a stage musical. Death Note: The Musical will debut at the Barbican Centre from July 30 to September 12, 2026, for a limited run of fifty performances. The production is being presented as a new stage version created in collaboration with the Japanese company HoriPro, which also produced the previous Asian versions of the show. The story revolves around Light Yagami, a brilliant student who comes into possession of a supernatural notebook capable of killing anyone written in it. Convinced he can eradicate crime and create a new moral order, Light begins a spiral that will lead him to confront Detective L, an enigmatic figure tasked with stopping him. More than a simple fantasy, Death Note unfolds an ethical conflict about control, justice, and the relationship between individuality and power. The musical features music by Frank Wildhorn, known for productions such as Jekyll & Hyde, lyrics by Jack Murphy, and a book by Ivan Menchell. The new London version will feature a revised script and new songs compared to previous productions. The production follows a long series of international adaptations in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, as well as the 2023 London concerts at the London Palladium and the Lyric Theatre, which demonstrated the title's potential with British audiences. The new production's cast includes Xander Pang as Light and Colin Ryan as L. The show will be performed in English and is billed as the first major Western theatrical version of the musical to be completely restaged.