Photos

The Book Thief – rehearsal images released

The stage adaptation of Markus Zusak’s novel returns

| Coventry | Leicester |

10 August 2023

The cast in rehearsals for The Book Thief. — The cast in rehearsals for The Book Thief, © Steve Gregson

Exclusive: Get a first look at The Book Thief musical before it plays in Coventry and Leicester next month.

The musical, based on Markus Zusak’s 2005 novel of the same name, follows Liesel Meminger, an illiterate girl who steals a book in 1930s Germany, and forms a close relationship with friend Rudy Steiner. The Book Thief was nominated for Best Regional Production at the 23rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards.

Tilly-Raye Bayer, Eirini Louskou & Mollie Casserley in rehearsals for The Book Thief, © Steve Gregson — Tilly-Raye Bayer, Eirini Louskou, and Mollie Casserley in rehearsals for The Book Thief, © Steve Gregson

Preston Cropp, Thommy Bailey Vine & Oliver Gordon in rehearsals for The Book Thief, © Steve Gregson — Preston Cropp, Thommy Bailey Vine, and Oliver Gordon in rehearsals for The Book Thief, © Steve Gregson

The role of Liesel Meminger will be shared between Tilly-Raye Bayer, Mollie Casserley, and Eirini Louskou. Rudy Steiner will be played by Thommy Bailey Vine, Preston Cropp, and Oliver Gordon.

Obioma Ugoala plays the Narrator, with Mina Anwar as Rosa Hubermann, Jack Lord as Hans Hubermann, Daniel Krikler as Max Vandenburg, Matthew Caputo as Referee, Katy Clayton as Liesel’s Mother, Oonagh Cox as Nurse, Mark Dugdale as Alex Steiner, Michał Horowicz as Max’s Mother, Thomas-Lee Kidd as Mayor Hermann, Anu Ogunmefun, Simon Oskarsson, Corinna Powlesland, Purvi Parmar as Barbara Steiner, Wendy Somerville as Ilsa Hermann, Edwin Ray as Walter Kugler, Lee V G as Gravedigger, and Russell Wilcox as Wolfgang Edel.

Michal Horowicz and cast in rehearsals for The Book Thief, © Steve Gregson

Daniel Krikler, Obioma Ugoala & Purvi Parmar in rehearsals for The Book Thief, © Steve Gregson — Daniel Krikler, Obioma Ugoala, and Purvi Parmar in rehearsals for The Book Thief, © Steve Gregson

Jodi Picolut and Timothy Allen McDonald adapt The Book Thief for the stage, with music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, and direction by Lotte Wakeham.

The show features set and costume design by Good Teeth, choreography by Tom Jackson Greaves, orchestrations and arrangements, musical supervision and musical direction by Matthew Malone, lighting design by Nic Farman, sound design by Andy Graham, video design by Dick Straker, casting by Abby Galvin for Jessica Ronane Casting, casting consultancy by Jessica Ronane, puppetry design by Sam Wilde, production management by Andy Fox and Lee Batty for Setting Line Production Management, associate direction by Martha Geelan and Anna Pool, associate choreography by Tinovimbanashe Sibanda, and associate musical direction by George Strickland. It is produced by Deus Ex Machina Productions with Writer’s Cage, Andrew Paradis, and Christopher Ketner in association with Belgrade, Coventry.

The Book Thief is at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry from 11 to 16 September, followed by performances at Leicester Curve from 29 September to 14 October.