London future of Death Note musical confirmed with new producers at the helm

Trafalgar Entertainment is developing a new English-language stage production of Death Note, in partnership with Japanese entertainment company HoriPro.

The musical, which features music by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, Bonnie and Clyde), is being prepared for a full London run. The plans were confirmed in a release distributed by Trafalgar this morning to mark a new international partnership at the Olympia Theatre in London.

Based on the popular Japanese manga and anime series created by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, Death Note follows a student who gains possession of a supernatural notebook granting him the power to kill anyone whose name he writes in it. The musical first premiered in Japan in 2015, produced by HoriPro, and has since been staged across Asia, including in South Korea.

The piece received its first performances in English in 2023, when a semi-staged concert version was presented at The London Palladium and later at the Lyric Theatre. Those concerts were produced independently by Carter Dixon McGill Productions and Indie Theatrical.

The new full-scale West End version marks Trafalgar Entertainment’s first collaboration with HoriPro on a musical, with new workshops taking place over the last couple of years.

Trafalgar’s recent producing credits include the West End musical version of Clueless, the award-winning Anything Goes and Bartlett Sher’s revival of Kiss Me, Kate. They are also co-producing the tour of the award-winning Fiddler on the Roof.

Further details, including creative team, casting and venue, for Death Note are all to be announced.