Death Note the Musical
Rating: ★★★★★
Venue: The Barbican, London

With over 30 million copies sold worldwide, the legendary manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata is reimagined for London in collaboration with original producers HoriPro, featuring an electrifying score by Tony, Grammy and Emmy nominee Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy and a book by Ivan Menchell.

When brilliant student Light Yagami discovers a notebook with the power over life and death, his quest to reshape the world sparks a relentless battle of wits with the elusive detective L, where every name carries consequences. Write a name. Change the world.

Death Note is a best-selling manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata and has sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Since its release over two decades ago, it's been adapted to screen in both a series and film, so it was only a matter of time before it made it onto stage too. After sell-out seasons in Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and staged concerts in London back in 2023, Death Note the Musical is finally open for its season at Barbican London.

If you're unfamiliar with the story, it poses the question: if you had the power over life and death, what would you do? Set in Tokyo, Japan, it's a story of morality and complexity, exploring the human psyche and the life-altering dynamics that comes with power imbalance. We follow student Light Yagami as he battles with this new dynamic when he finds a notebook that allows its owner to write a name and determine their cause of imminent death. The case attracts L, a renowned elusive detective and the game of cat and mouse begins.

During the staged concerts, I described the show as a deliciously dark masterpiece, this remains the case. However, it's now far more layered and the characters are more complex with exponentially more depth. A deliciously dark masterpiece with an exploration of the complexities of morality and the human condition itself. 

Xander Pang is the embodiment of Light Yagami, breathing life into the character as though he was born to play it. His slow descent into discovering his own manic idea of justice is nothing short of sensational to witness. Pang's vocals are all-consuming in the Barbican and it's impossible not to be awed by his undeniable talent. 

Shinigami, Ryuk, played by Telly Leung, acts as Light's almost moral compass throughout the show; not quite guiding, but also not quite enabling. Leung captures the character's essence perfectly and even down to the finer details like Ryuk's laugh and his body language are exceptional.

Colin Ryan's portrayal of L is truly some of the best casting I've ever seen. The mannerisms, the comedic timing, the tone, and of course, his signature seated pose, nothing about his performance was amiss and the pairing of Ryan and Pang is utterly inspired with the tension between the duo palpable. Stephanie Zaharis stuns with vocals that most performers can only dream of, particularly in her solo numbers such as "We All Need a Hero" and "Borrowed Time".

The music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics by Jack Murphy are electrifying. Each song feels as though it has a purpose which feels somewhat rare nowadays. While the soundtrack is very ballad heavy, it works for the seriousness and intensity of the show itself. Standout performances come from Pang's "Hurricane", Leung's "Kira", Grace Mouat's "When Love Comes" and Pang and Ryan's thrilling duet, "Playing His Game". The book by Ivan Menchell condenses the manga down just enough, without losing the heart of the original manga material.

The set from Jon Bausor can only be described as grand. It's visually stunning and the seamless transitions between sets is one of the elements that works best in the production. The magnitude of the sets should feel almost intimidating but it only aids in immersing the audience into the show. The costume design by Sachiko Nakahara and WHAM (wigs, hair and make up) by Alice Dawson Whale are also more than worthy of a mention bringing so many of the beloved character's to life with ease onstage.

Whether you're a fan of the original material, or just a theatre-goer looking for a new musical, Death Note the Musical has been made incredibly accessible for new audiences while still remaining true to its source material. It's dark, it's witty, it ensures you leave questioning your morals, but above all, it wows. A true masterpiece in every sense of the word. I have one question: is it too soon to be asking when the transfer will be?

Death Note: The Musical, Barbican Theatre until 12th September. Tickets: DeathNoteTheMusical.com

**photo credit: Manuel Harlan**