Death Note: The Musical, based on the record-breaking manga, lands at London’s Barbican Theatre this summer and the reviews are in. Critics agree this stellar and inventive show is an ambitious and entertaining spectacle.
Directed by Stephen Whitson (Terrible Influence, Diary of a CEO Live), this exciting musical brings Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata’s internationally bestselling Japanese manga series to live with plenty of spectacle. Critics were wowed by the scale of Death Note, successfully transporting audiences into the world of the manga.
The production is bolstered by strong performances, with critics praising the principal cast across the board. Critics pointed out a few niggling blemishes but none that detracted from the overall delivery of a spectacular theatre experience.
The verdict: Regardless of whether you’re a fan of the manga or a newcomer to the series, critics agree that Death Note is entertaining, with stellar performances and plenty of heart.
Critics’ comparison
| Publication | Rating | The Key Takeaway |
| The Times | ★★★★ | A highly entertaining musical |
| The Stage | ★★★★ | Exhilarating; elegant; propulsive. |
| What’s On Stage | ★★★★ | A triumphant, fantastical manga thriller |
| BroadwayWorld | ★★★★ | Electrifying and ambitious; a total blast. |
| The Guardian | ★★★★ | The manga mystery is a killer night out |
The reviews: what they loved about Death Note
- Xander Pang: The actor who plays main character Light Yagami was universally praised for his portrayal of the anti-hero, who’s swift decline into power-hungry vigilante taking justice into his own hands was powerfully portrayed. What’s On Stage called Pang a ‘superb find’ who plays the part with ‘real skill’
- Colin Ryan: Likewise, Colin Ryan as Light’s foil, ruthless detective L, was a shining example in the production. BroadwayWorld called his ‘a finely detailed performance’ while The Stage called the actor a ‘true revelation’ who is ‘magnetic to watch.’
- The overall design: Critics overwhelmingly agreed that the production elements really brought the production home, from set design by Jon Bausor to video elements by Akhila Krishnan. The Stage enjoyed what it called ‘a noirish intensity’ while What’s On Stage called the visual design ‘strikingly successful.’
The reviews: what fell flat for Death Note
- Some subplots felt surface level: The critic from BroadwayWorld felt the one drawback of adapting a 12-part series into an almost three-hour musical is that some plot points became underdeveloped and underexplored. They noted one plot point around the character Gelus, that didn’t feel as complete as others.
The back story
Death Note is based on the bestselling Japanese manga of the same name, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. Over its lifetime, the manga has been adapted into a series of live action films, an anime tv series and now it takes the stage as a musical in the West End.
The story follows a clever high school student, Light Yagami, who one day stumbles upon the ‘Death Note,’ a mysterious notebook that can end anyone’s life in seconds simply by writing their name. Dissatisfied with the failures of the justice system and fed up with seeing criminals get away with murder, Light takes matters into his own hands and begins to use the notebook to kill high-profile criminals.
The suspicious deaths force the investigating police to enlist the help of L, an enigmatic and ruthless detective, to help track down the vigilante who the public has nicknamed ‘Kira.’
The cast includes:
- Light Yagami: Xander Pang (The Lightning Thief, Dear Evan Hansen)
- L: Colin Ryan (My Brilliant Friend, Wendy and Peter Pan)
- Misa: Stephanie Zaharis (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Little Mermaid)
- Ryuk: Telly Leung (Allegiance, Glee)
- Rem: Grace Mouat (Mean Girls, SIX)
- Soichiro Yagami: Paolo Montalban (Pacific Overtures, Funny Girl)
- Gelus: Chloe Saracco
The company is completed by Elsie Buckley, 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, Ernest Stroud, Nicole Carlisle, Renz Cardenas, David Ouch and Sian Yeo.
Written by Ivan Menchell, with music and lyrics by Frank Wildhorn and Jack Murphy, Death Note the Musical is directed by Stephen Whitson, alongside Designer Jon Bausor, Choreographer Fabian Aloise, Costume Designer Sachiko Nakahara, and Lighting Designer Jen Schriever.
Where to see Death Note: The Musical
- Venue: Barbican Theatre, until 12 September 2026
- Age: 12+
- Runtime: 2 hours and 30 minutes (including interval)
- Full details on Death Note
What are the critics saying about Death Note The Musical?
“Veterans and novices alike will be enchanted.”
“Ivan Menchell has constructed a clean and simple book framework telling a single clear story.”
“Xander Pang is compelling from the off, luring us into his ever-darker inner world.”
“The joy of Death Note is that it never takes itself too seriously. These characters are high camp and utterly absurd, and they know it.”
“The breakout performance comes from Grace Mouat as Rem [...] Her power ballad When Love Comes gives the audience a hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck moment”
“For this first fully staged London production, an initial six-week run is unlikely to be long enough.”
“Kinetically powerful and atmospheric.”
“It elegantly reworks elements of the original graphic novels into a propulsive tale of law versus justice that is operatic in its crescendo.”
“Whitson’s production thrives on a noirish intensity, reflected in the towering cityscapes of Akhila Krishnan’s video design, glimpsed through – and framed by – the sharp-edged brutalism of Jon Bausor’s massive, split-level set.”
“Pang nicely captures Light’s heel turn from childish and impetuous self-righteousness to power-hungry monstrousness, as the show intriguingly tells the story from the antagonist’s perspective.”
“The true revelation is Ryan, who brings L to life as someone emptied of humanity.”
“This show isn’t an exercise in subtlety – but it couldn’t be. It’s an exhilarating rush of modern, mythic and tragic.”
“This is a very big show in every sense: ambition, emotions, scale, spectacle, cast… and sheer entertainment value.”
“Once you buy into the bombastic madness, this really is a terrific time in the theatre.”
“The overall effect is like watching the movie Blade Runner spliced together with a rock arena spectacular, and the sense of a towering, oppressive city of skyscrapers hemming its inhabitants in, is powerfully evoked.”
“Pang is a superb find, charting Light’s descent from righteous youth to aggression and arrogance with real skill.”
“West End favourite Mouat demonstrates an impressive extension to her range here, playing against type and delivering a mature, gravitas-laden performance as the icy, cautious deity drawn unwillingly into the mess of human emotions.”
“Broadway’s Telly Leung is fabulous as gleeful, caustic Ryuk, the demonic Shinigami with a weakness for apples and making things as embarrassing as possible for Light.”
“Ultimately, the worst thing about Death Note: The Musical is the fact that it’s only at the Barbican for a mere five weeks.”
"If there’s one word to describe this Death Note, it’s ambitious.”
“Ivan Menchell’s book carries fascinating ideas surrounding the moral ambiguity of vigilantism and mortality but adapting a 12-volume manga into a two-and-a-half-hour show leaves them feeling underexplored.”
“The exposition heavy dialogue which fills the blanks for newcomers can result in more telling than showing.”
“Equally electrifying is Jon Bausor and Akhila Krishnan’s spellbinding set and video design unlike anything I've seen.”
“A real feast for the senses.”
“Diehard fans will love seeing the world brought to life with its stunning visuals and all-around formidable cast, while newcomers will quickly give themselves over to the thrilling melodrama.”
"The multi-platform phenomenon makes its way to the stage, with all the supernatural hijinks, J-horror tropes and emotional intensity intact."
"This emerges as a smart, metaphysical whodunnit – or perhaps, more accurately, howdunnit – with a nice line in emotional intensity cranked up by its power-ballad musical score."
"This kind of material doesn’t often find itself in theatres, but perhaps the success of the Barbican’s staging will see more given the go-ahead."
"All three performers attack their roles with grade-A gusto."
"Telly Leung and Grace Mouat as apple-munching chaos-stirrer Ryuk and goth-bride lookalike Rem, respectively, provide top-notch support as the presiding deities."
"Death Note purists might not be completely on board with the alterations, but I would challenge anyone not to have a good time with this."
Barbican Theatre, London
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