The world premiere of the brand new production of Death Note: The Musical will open at the Barbican Theatre from 30 July 2026 for a strictly limited season.
Producers HoriPro and Trafalgar Theatre Productions, in association with the Barbican, will unveil a reimagined staging with a revised script and newly written songs alongside the acclaimed original score.
The musical is based on the bestselling manga by Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata and Shueisha. It features music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy and a book by Ivan Menchell.
The production arrives following a decade of sold out runs across Asia and record-breaking concerts at the London Palladium.
Director Stephen Whitson leads the creative team, joined by designer Jon Bausor, choreographer Fabian Aloise, orchestrator and arranger Jason Howland and additional lyricist Morgan Reilly.
Casting will be announced at a later date.
Frank Wildhorn said: “I am humbled, honoured and beyond excited to bring Death Note to the Barbican this summer. I hope it’s a step in a beautiful long life for our manga musical in the West and beyond. So very grateful to HoriPro and Trafalgar for giving our ‘voice’ a chance to be heard!!”
Mr Hori, Chairman of HoriPro Group, said: “Since its premiere in Tokyo in 2015, our aspiration has always been to bring Death Note to the London stage. We are delighted to present this work in partnership with Sir Howard Panter and Trafalgar Entertainment, a collaboration built on an enduring artistic kinship and shared vision spanning more than three decades. It is also a privilege to return to the Barbican; having brought a wide variety of our productions to this stage for many decades, we are immensely proud to once again call this iconic institution our home in London.”
Sir Howard Panter, Joint CEO and Creative Director of Trafalgar Entertainment, said: “Our partnership with HoriPro spans more than three decades, and it is a pleasure to work with them to bring this global phenomenon to the London stage for the first time. Following our recent successful summer seasons at the Barbican, we know it is a theatre that demands work of scale and ambition. With Frank Wildhorn’s electrifying score and this exceptional new creative team, we are creating a production that will truly be a landmark, once in a lifetime event.”
The story follows Light Yagami, a gifted student who discovers a supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing their name. As he begins to use the Death Note to shape what he believes should be a new world, he attracts the attention of the enigmatic detective L, sparking a gripping psychological battle.
Performances run until 12 September 2026. Tickets go on general sale on 4 March at 10am.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
