New production of Death Note musical to have world premiere in London

The world premiere of a new production of Death Note: The Musical will open at the Barbican Theatre this summer.

Based on the bestselling manga series Death Note by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, the musical features music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy, and a book by Ivan Menchell, with additional lyrics by Morgan Reilly.

The production will feature a revised script and new songs alongside the original score. Following productions across Asia and concert performances in London, this reimagined staging marks the work’s first fully staged London run. This new iteration planned for London also has ambitions for a future Broadway run.

The manga has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and has been adapted into animation, films, television series and a Netflix adaptation.

The story follows Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a notebook with the power to kill anyone whose name is written in it. Disillusioned with the justice system, Light begins using the notebook to kill criminals and comes to be known as Kira.

The creative team for the new production includes director Stephen Whitson, choreographer Fabian Aloise, designer Jon Bausor and orchestrator and arranger Jason Howland. Casting is to be announced.

Frank Wildhorn said: “I am humbled, honoured and beyond excited to bring Death Note to the Barbican this summer. I hope it’s a step in a beautiful long life for our manga musical in the West and beyond. So very grateful to HoriPro and Trafalgar for giving our ‘voice’ a chance to be heard!!”

Mr Hori, Chairman of HoriPro Group, said: “Since its premiere in Tokyo in 2015, our aspiration has always been to bring Death Note to the London stage. We are delighted to present this work in partnership with Howard Panter and Trafalgar Entertainment, a collaboration built on an enduring artistic kinship and shared vision spanning more than three decades. It is also a privilege to return to the Barbican; having brought a wide variety of our productions to this stage for many decades, we are immensely proud to once again call this iconic institution our home in London.”

Howard Panter, joint CEO and creative director of Trafalgar Entertainment, said: “Our partnership with HoriPro spans more than three decades, and it is a pleasure to work with them to bring this global phenomenon to the London stage for the first time.

“Following our recent successful summer seasons at the Barbican, we know it is a theatre that demands work of scale and ambition. With Frank Wildhorn’s electrifying score and this exceptional new creative team, we are creating a production that will truly be a landmark, once in a lifetime event.”

The show will run from 30 July 2026, with a press night on 11 August, until 12 September. Tickets go on general sale at 10am on 4 March.

It is produced in London by HoriPro, Trafalgar Theatre Productions and Pinnacle Productions, in association with the Barbican.