West End vs South Korea: Your Lie in April – a manga musical on two continents

You may be familiar with our West End vs Broadway series (in partnership with our New York sister site, TheaterMania), but today we have a first for WhatsOnStage.

Your Lie in April, based on the much-loved manga and featuring music by Frank Wildhorn (Bonnie and Clyde), is currently on stage in both London and Seoul. Therefore, we thought we’d take the opportunity to bring two performers together to represent these productions in our inaugural edition of West End vs South Korea.

Rachel Clare Chan (who also appeared as Sayu in the concert stagings of Wildhorn’s Death Note: The Musical at The London Palladium and Lyric Theatre last year) and Si-in Park portray the character of Tsubaki Sawabe in the London and Seoul productions, respectively.

Check out their intercontinental conversation in the video below:

Please note: The West End production of Your Lie in April is now scheduled to close on Sunday, 11 August at the Harold Pinter Theatre, while the Korean production will conclude its run at Seoul Arts Center’s CJ Towol Theater on Sunday, 25 August.

The manga, first published in 2011, has sold over 7.5 million copies in 17 countries. It was adapted into a 22-part anime TV series in 2014, a live-action film in 2016, and a Japanese stage production in 2017. Wildhorn’s musical adaptation premiered in Tokyo in 2022 and set box office records.

The story follows Kōsei, a young piano prodigy who loses his ability to play after his mother’s sudden death. His life changes when he meets Kaori, a brilliant violinist who encourages him to perform again.

The UK production of Your Lie in April features music by Wildhorn, lyrics by Carly Robyn Green and Tracy Miller, and an English language book by Rinne B Groff. It is directed and choreographed by Nick Winston, with co-direction by Jordan Murphy. It is produced by Carter Dixon McGill Ltd, Indie Theatrical, and Pinnacle Productions. The Korean production is directed by Choo Jung Hwa, with choreography by Kim Byung Jin, and is produced by Sophy Jiwon Kim/EMK Entertainment Co., Ltd.