DEM Productions has announced a special concert performance of The Book Thief, the musical adaptation of Markus Zusak’s best-selling novel, at the Prince of Wales Theatre on Sunday 19 October 2025.
West End favourite Melanie La Barrie will lead the cast as Death. La Barrie recently won the 2025 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical for her role as Hermes in Hadestown. Her extensive credits include &Juliet, Wicked, Matilda The Musical, Mary Poppins, Les Misérables, and Bakkhai, among many others. She is currently appearing in Mary Page Marlowe at The Old Vic.
Further casting is yet to be announced.
The Book Thief features a book by Jodi Picoult and Timothy Allen McDonald, with music and lyrics by Kate Anderson and Elyssa Samsel. The musical is based on Zusak’s global bestseller, which has sold over 16 million copies.
On the upcoming London concert, Picoult and McDonald said:
“We couldn’t be prouder to present this new, gorgeous incarnation of The Book Thief in London. As Americans, we are very much aware of how quickly fascism can take hold of a country — this show is the right story, at exactly the right time. To have Melanie La Barrie leading the company as Death, our narrator, is a dream — her immense talent and experience has given us so many colours we writers can paint with.”
Composers Anderson and Samsel added:
“We are so excited to bring this score back to life on stage, with some new songs that have grown and changed with the show’s evolution. To have our music in the talented and capable hands of an actor like Mel LaBarrie is a dream come true!”
Producers Emily Lunnon and Ramin Sabi commented:
“It’s our great pleasure to bring this beautiful show to London for the first time. The unique musical language created by the writing team has brought Markus’ timeless and timely story to life in that very special way that only theatre can. We couldn’t be more excited for Tom Jackson Greaves’ genius staging to propel the show through its next steps, to a new audience and beyond.”
Director and choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves said:
“I am thrilled to be leading this incredible musical into its next chapter, alongside our brilliant writers, creative team, cast and exceptional storyteller, Melanie La Barrie. It’s a story that needs to be heard now more than ever and I cannot wait for a London audience to experience it for the very first time.”
The musical premiered at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton in 2022, followed by runs at Coventry Belgrade Theatre and Leicester Curve in 2023.
The Book Thief tells the story of Liesel Meminger, a twelve-year-old girl living in Nazi Germany, who finds solace and resistance in the power of words. Narrated by Death, the musical explores themes of memory, defiance, and humanity through a vivid palette of red, white, and black.
The creative team includes orchestrations and musical supervision by Matthew Malone, set and costume design by Good Teeth, lighting design by Nic Farman, sound design by Sound Quiet Time, casting by Abby Galvin, and musical direction by Natalie Pound.
The Book Thief is produced by Deus Ex Machina Productions, Writers’ Cage, and Andrew Paradis in association with Bethany Cooper Productions.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
