Producers today announce the lead actors for Your Lie in April’s fully staged 12-week West End premiere ahead of rehearsals starting next week.
Zheng Xi Yong, Rachel Clare Chan and Dean John-Wilson, who all starred in the two sold-out critically acclaimed concert versions of the show last month at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, return.
They are joined by Mia Kobayashi, making her professional debut.
Your Lie in April, one of the most popular romantic stories and greatest tearjerkers in Japanese manga history, has music by multi-Grammy, Tony, and Emmy Award nominated Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn (Death Note The Musical, Jekyll & Hyde, Bonnie & Clyde) with Lyrics by Carly Robyn Green and Tracy Miller. It is directed and choreographed by Nick Winston (Death Note the Musical, Fame, Annie).
Your Lie in April will start previews at The Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton St, London SW1 on 28 June and run to 21 September. Press Night is Friday 5 July at 7pm.
Following his mother’s death, teenage piano prodigy Kōsei Arima (Zheng Xi Yong) finds himself unable to play music. But when he strikes a friendship with the brilliant violinist Kaori Miyazono (Mia Kobayashi), she slowly encourages him to perform again.
Your Lie in April manga, published in 2011, has since sold over 7.5 million copies in 17 countries. It was adapted into a 22-part anime TV series in 2014, a Japanese live-action film in 2016 and a Japanese stage production in 2017. Frank Wildhorn’s musical opened in Tokyo in 2022, followed by a Japan tour, and smashed box office records. This production is its English language premiere.
Zheng Xi Yong (Kosei Arima) recently appeared in Greta Gerwig’s global hit movie Barbie and filmed as a series regular on the highly anticipated new comedy drama series Boarders (BBC3). He will also appear in Season 2 of Silo (Apple TV). A graduate of the Royal Academy of Music with an MA in Musical Theatre (Distinction) and a Diploma in Piano, his theatre credits include playing Antonio in The Tempest (Shakespeare’s Globe) and Ernst in the Olivier-nominated Spring Awakening (Almeida Theatre). He is currently filming Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.
Mia Kobayashi (Kaori Miyazono) is a recent graduate of ArtsEd, playing Charity in Sweet Charity and cover Mimi in RENT her final year shows.
Rachel Clare Chan (Tsubaki Sawabe) played Sayu in Death Note the Musical in Concert (London Palladium & Lyric Theatre). She was recently seen in Oliver! (Leeds Playhouse) and Miss Saigon (Vienna), understudying the leading role of Kim.
Dean John-Wilson (Ryota Watari) created the role of ‘L’ in Death Note the Musical in Concert (London Palladium & Lyric Theatre). His other credits include Lun-Tha in The King & I (Dominion Theatre & UK tour), Georgio in Passion (Hope Mill), Greg McConnell in Cruel Intentions (Edinburgh Fringe), Lun-Tha in The King & I (London Palladium); Aladdin in Disney’s Aladdin (Prince Edward Theatre); Man 1 in Songs For a New World (St James Theatre), Ninoy Aquino in Here Lies Love (National Theatre), Tim Rice’s From Here to Eternity (Shaftesbury Theatre).
More cast to be announced.
Composer Frank Wildhorn said: “Your Lie In April is a love letter to the beautiful power of music – to heal, to take us through life’s adventures, to create our most precious memories… I’ve never had more fun than creating this music!”
