DEATH NOTE adds extra performance and gives an exclusive first listen

Ahead of the first preview of DEATH NOTE: THE MUSICAL this Thursday 30 July at the Barbican, producers have released an exclusive first listen to three songs from the musical via their website, giving fans their first chance to hear the soaring score by Emmy, Grammy and Tony-Award nominated composer Frank Wildhorn. The tracks released are Where Is The Justice, Hurricane and When Love Comes.

Demand for tickets has been overwhelming, with early dates selling out before the production has even opened, putting DEATH NOTE: THE MUSICAL on course to become one of the Barbican's fastest-selling musical engagements. To give even more people the opportunity to be a part of one of summer’s most anticipated theatrical events, an extra matinee performance has been added on Tuesday 8th September, and the final production seats have just been released.

The much-anticipated new London production brings together a landmark Japanese-British collaboration, with original Japanese producer HoriPro working alongside Trafalgar Theatre Productions. They are joined by an international producing team led by Tony-winning Broadway producer Haley Swindal and Tony and Olivier Award-nominated producer Timothy Laczynski, alongside Annaleise Loxton, Willette Klausner, Sophie Qi, Indie Slingshot and Abby Espiritu, making her West End producing debut. The production is presented in association with Julian & Otōsan-Ari Benmosché, David S. Stone, The Araca Group, Whitney Kroenke Silverstein and Vibecke Dahle Dellapolla.

The cast features Xander Pang as Light and Colin Ryan as L alongside Stephanie Zaharis as Misa Amane, Telly Leung as Ryuk, Grace Mouat as Rem, Paolo Montalban as Soichiro Yagami, Chloe Saracco as Jerasu, and Elsie Buckley as Sayu.

The ensemble is made up of CJ Benoiton, Louise Liluna Browning, Aoife Haakenson, Samantha Ho, Katie Ka Lay Ho, Olivia Hazel Jones, Matthew Koon, Abel Law, Luchia Moss, Patrick Munday, Richie Paisley, Regine Phua, Nicky Wong Rush and Ernest Stroud. The company is completed by Nicole Carlisle, Renz Cardenas and David Ouch who are Swings and Sian Yeo as Swing / Dance Captain.

The worldwide phenomenon DEATH NOTE: THE MUSICAL is based on the globally bestselling manga by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata. Following ten years of sold-out productions across Asia and record-breaking concerts at the London Palladium, the major new London production opens at the Barbican on 30 July for a limited six-week season, featuring a revised script and newly written songs alongside Frank Wildhorn's acclaimed original score.

DEATH NOTE: THE MUSICAL tells the story of Light Yagami, played by Xander Pang, an exceptionally gifted high school student who discovers a mysterious notebook bearing one chilling rule: "Any human whose name is written in this notebook will die in 40 seconds." Dropped into the human world by the Shinigami Ryuk, the Death Note gives Light the power to kill anyone simply by writing their name. Disillusioned by a justice system he believes fails to punish criminals, he begins using its power to create his vision of a new world. As unexplained deaths mount, the public hails the unseen killer as "Kira", while the authorities enlist enigmatic detective L, played by Colin Ryan, setting the stage for a gripping psychological battle between two brilliant minds.

First published in Japan in 2003, Death Note has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and become a global phenomenon, inspiring anime, films, television adaptations, novels, video games and a live-action Netflix adaptation. Originally produced by HoriPro in 2015, the musical has since enjoyed acclaimed productions across Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, before record-breaking concert performances at the London Palladium in 2023.

Winner of Best Musical at the Korea Musical Awards, the production features a score by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award nominee Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, Bonnie & Clyde), lyrics by Tony nominee Jack Murphy, additional lyrics by Morgan Reilly and a book by Emmy nominee Ivan Menchell.

Joining Wildhorn is an acclaimed creative team behind some of the West End’s biggest hits, led by director Stephen Whitson (Hamilton UK, Moulin Rouge! UK), designer Jon Bausor (Spirited Away, Bat Out of Hell), choreographer Fabian Aloise (Evita, Sunset Boulevard) and musical supervisor, orchestrator and arranger Jason Howland.

To listen, click here