Death Note – The Musical

Death Note: The Musical is a new stage musical adapted from the Japanese manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, staged at the Barbican Theatre in the City of London. It follows a clever student and a secretive detective locked in a deadly contest of wits.

The show adapts the manga series written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, which has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. For this London production, the creative team reworked the material together with HoriPro, the Japanese company behind the original stage version.

The score is by Frank Wildhorn, a composer who has received Tony, Grammy and Emmy nominations. Jack Murphy wrote the lyrics and Ivan Menchell the book. The plot centres on Light Yagami, a gifted student who finds a notebook that can decide whether people live or die. His plan to reshape society soon escalates, drawing the attention of L, an elusive and ruthless detective. As both characters pursue their goals, they are pushed to question where morality ends.

The production plays at the Barbican Theatre, a venue on Silk Street in London EC2Y, which hosts concerts and theatre.