London Theatre | 23 March – 15 May 2027
Missed it this summer? Death Note: The Musical has released an official trailer ahead of its return to the Barbican Theatre next spring. The show runs for eight weeks from 23 March to 15 May 2027, and tickets are on sale now.
Here are five things to know.
1. It broke Barbican records
The 2026 season, which ran from 30 July to 12 September, sold out and broke the Barbican’s record for the highest-grossing single week of a musical. It then broke the record for the highest-grossing single performance five times in a row. Critics were impressed too: The Stage gave it five stars and called it exhilarating, and Radio Times said it was the best show its reviewer had seen in a decade.
2. A deadly game of cat and mouse
Based on the bestselling manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, the story follows gifted high school student Light Yagami, who finds a mysterious notebook dropped into the human world by the bored Shinigami (death god) Ryuk. Anyone whose name is written in it will die. As Light starts using it to reshape the world, he’s soon locked in a battle of wits with the brilliant and eccentric detective L.
3. A score by Frank Wildhorn
The music is by Tony, Grammy and Emmy nominee Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde), with lyrics by Jack Murphy, additional lyrics by Morgan Reilly and a book by Ivan Menchell. The London staging is directed by Stephen Whitson, associate director of Hamilton and Moulin Rouge! in the West End, with choreography by Olivier winner Fabian Aloise, sets by Jon Bausor and illusions by Paul Kieve.
4. A global phenomenon
First published in Japan in 2003, Death Note has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and has been adapted into anime, films, TV and video games. The musical was first produced by HoriPro in 2015 and has since played in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, as well as concerts at the London Palladium and Lyric Theatre in 2023.
5. Watch the new trailer
The official trailer features this year’s Barbican company, led by Xander Pang as Light Yagami and Colin Ryan as L, with Stephanie Zaharis as Misa Amane, Telly Leung as Ryuk, Grace Mouat as Rem and Paolo Montalban as Soichiro Yagami. Casting for the 2027 run hasn’t been announced yet. Watch it below:
Tickets and info
Death Note: The Musical
Barbican Theatre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
Tuesday 23 March – Saturday 15 May 2027
Running time: around 2 hours 20 minutes, including an interval | Recommended for ages 12+
Tickets on sale now
Nearest stations: Barbican and Moorgate