Review: Death Note: The Musical (Barbican Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

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The road to the fully-staged London premiere of Death Note: The Musical has been a long and winding one. In development since 2013, it finally crossed the pond ten years later for a West End concert outing so well received, it ended up doing ten of them. It seemed as if a fully staged transfer was imminent, but we have been left waiting. Well, the wait is finally over as Death Note has moved into the Barbican for a strictly limited run this summer. Three years ago, I went into the show completely blind, a minority in an audience full of lifelong fans and Death Note obsessives - perhaps that is why I was so pleasantly surprised, and gave it an easy five stars. Three years later, I am far more familiar - following such an impressive concert production earlier, my expectations are understandably high for this fully-staged debut, but would it be the killer hit I was hoping for?

Now, there are some obsessive checks I always make before any show begins - is my phone on silent and no rogue alarms set (I’ve been caught out by that before)... followed by another check five minutes later, for safety. Sitting in the Barbican Theatre prior to Death Note starting, I realised another check was necessary - did I have the right notebook for the show? Can you imagine how awkward it would have been if I’d mistakenly brought my Death Note and started writing down notes about the cast and creative team? Honestly, that would have been the biggest disaster to hit a London stage since insert the name of any number of recent underwhelming openings here.

If you are wondering what the Hell I’m going on about with that last paragraph, let me familiarise you with the story of Death Note. Student Light Yagami discovers a notebook, only this is no ordinary notebook, this is the titular Death Note, a book with the power to determine who lives and who dies. All Light needs to do is write down any name, and that person will surely meet their maker. The obvious question is do you use that power for good or for evil, and where exactly is the line? As his mission spirals out of control, the question of how justice should be served comes into play, with ruthless detective L on the hunt to catch Light, though his own desire for justice soon becomes an obsession in itself.

Death Note plays with some heavy themes such as morality, justice and mortality itself. The story has become a worldwide phenomenon since its debut, with different adaptations enjoying varying degrees of success (though the less said about the Netflix film, the better) and so the question becomes how do you take these pretty exceptional building blocks in the story and reassemble them to tell the story on stage while doing the original source material justice? With great ease, it turns out - though that is not to say the process of getting here has been easy in itself. The creatives involved with Death Note have meticulously written and rewritten it to take the right elements from the source material, tweaking what is necessary and creating the best possible version of the show that has been seen on stage to date. If you saw the original West End concert in 2023, there will certainly be moments you recognise while others are brand new and unrecognisable, though never detracting from the story.

Much of that can be credited to Ivan Menchell’s book, meticulously navigating an abundance of material to create a pacey production that condenses the entire world of Light, L and the Shinigami into two hours without the sense anything has been lost. Of course this means certain characters, themes and plots are merely touched upon and not as fleshed out as they otherwise could be, but short of doubling the length of the musical (something I wouldn’t be opposed to), it is an impressive feat to cram everything in so cohesively to satisfyingly tell a story with a beginning, middle and end. The overarching themes are never lost, with the main focus of morality and justice always present in the equivalent of L trying to capture his prey.

The question of “Why should this be a musical?” has popped up repeatedly recently, with some shows failing to come up with an answer, much to their own detriment. In an existing story such as Death Note, having songs that don’t just fit into the story but actively elevate it is crucial, and luckily that is one of the biggest strengths of this musical. That should come as no surprise given that the music is by the legendary Frank Wildhorn. With Jack Murphy responsible for lyrics, the pair have crafted one of the most exciting and exhilarating new scores I have heard in quite some time. From the opening moments of ‘Where Is The Justice?’, you know you are in safe hands with Wildhorn and Murphy’s numbers never relenting, retaining the high quality from start to finish. Standout numbers ‘Hurricane’, Act Two opener ‘Half A Life’ and the sensational ‘When Love Comes’ are among the best you will see on a London stage this year, in a score so consistent and impressive, it may well rank as Wildhorn’s best.

That should be enough to get people excited for Death Note, but a contender for its greatest element may lie in its design. Kept relatively secretive with only one photo being released so far for reviews, the stage is kept completely hidden until the moment the show starts, thrusting the audience into this world with no warning, and sitting back as 1000 jaws hit the floor in unison. Jon Bausor’s incredible set design is among the best I have ever seen, effortlessly recreating and realising this rich and wonderful world in a perfect balance of realism and escapism. Making full use of the Barbican’s looming stage in a way some other productions didn’t quite manage, the design always captivates, wowing at every turn. This is a show where all the creative elements tie together to create something truly magical, with Bausor’s set coming to life through striking video design from Akhila Krishnan and sensational lighting from Jen Schriever. The whole thing isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it is astounding. The quality is unmatched in what might be the most stimulating and stunning looking show in London right now. Add into the mix some utterly mesmerising costumes from Sachiko Nakahara and hair, wigs and make-up from Alice Dawson Whale and you are left with a show that is beautiful to watch.

It is a big stage with some larger-than-life creative choices, but it is all held together comfortably by Stephen Whitson’s faultless direction. Finding the best way to bring the story to life, there is no shortage of inspired choices in the storytelling measures, particularly the multi-level stage, where Shinigami watch from above, offices and bedrooms appear from nowhere and an entire world is created effortlessly. The final creative to mention is the wonderful Fabian Aloise, who deservedly won the Olivier this year for his refreshingly original choreography on Evita, and he has worked his magic once again with his thrilling use of movement played out to full effect on some of the sequences. A notable use of this comes early on with the students showing what can be achieved in movement from the comfort of their seats, with Aloise’s choreography used to full force throughout, never shying away from the darkness and anguish of the story but still finding beauty in the movement.

If creatively, Death Note is in a world of its own, the cast offer the same level with their own incredible talent. Xander Pang leads the pack as Light, delivering an accomplished star turn through soaring vocals and convincing acting as his character ironically enough gradually moves away from the light. Stephanie Zaharis is a force to be reckoned with as Misa, bringing the house down with her incredible vocals on standout numbers ‘We All Need A Hero’, ‘Half A Life’ and ‘Borrowed Time’. It may take a while to see Zaharis share the stage with Pang, but when they do, it is more than worth the wait with a thrilling dynamic adding something new to the story in a complex relationship. My only minor quibble in this production is perhaps we could have seen more from this, though time restraints obviously prevent that from happening.

Watching over these two humans with their own respective Death Notes are the Shinigami, Ryuk and Rem, in two knockout performances. Telly Leung takes on the role of Ryuk, perfectly bringing to life the mischievous and slightly chaotic nature of the character and playing it up to full effect. The result is a wonderfully exaggerated and often comedic performance, that Leung so clearly relishes. When he is front and centre, it is impossible to take your eyes off of him, such is the magnitude of his performance, but interestingly, he proves just as captivating when he is in the background, with such a strong presence that is always felt. Grace Mouat’s Rem is quite literally the opposite to Leung’s Ryuk, as noted in their disparately different costumes. Mouat oozes sweetness and, dare I say, light as Rem in a beautiful performance that brings a sense of humanity to the shinigami. When Mouat gets her turn in the spotlight for one of the show’s biggest numbers, ‘When Love Comes’, she more than proves what a star she is herself in a sensational turn.

There are five major roles in Death Note, and the fifth is that of L, the unconventional and perhaps unhinged detective determined to catch Light. That role is played by Colin Ryan. While all of the main five deliver phenomenal performances that are among the best you will see, there is something extra about what Ryan does. L is a curious character, with distinct mannerisms such as the rather unique way he sits or just how he walks around the stage in general. Ryan nails every single element of this in a committed character-performance that meant I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. Details such as the way his eyes focus on something unseen in the distance while talking to people made his entire performance a breath of fresh air. His talent extends to his impressive vocal abilities, particularly on ‘The Game Begins’. His dynamic with Pang’s Light is at the heart of the story, with the cat-and-mouse chase and their unlikely relationship among the more captivating elements. When Pang and Ryan are on stage together, the result is pure electricity.

Reading this, some of you may wonder whether you need to be familiar to the world and history of Death Note to get the most out of the experience. Let me reassure you by saying not at all. If you loved the manga, there are certainly moments in here tailored for your particular enjoyment, but crucially this doesn’t make the experience any less enjoyable for those less familiar. What makes this production such a resounding success is its commitment to not just do the best production of Death Note but to make a musical that stands up on its own two feet. If you didn’t know any better, you may think this is an original story with no previous source material to rely on, and that is the beauty of this production. Talking to people in the interval and after the show, it was interesting to hear the thoughts of those who had long been obsessed with all things Death Note, and those who went into the show blissfully unaware. The one thing these people had in common was how much they loved the show. I always say the beauty of theatre is how subjective it can be, but the other beauty can be its ability to unite us, and the way Death Note achieves this really is as good as it gets.

I knew nothing about Death Note when I first saw it in 2023, but I loved it so much, I was nervous for how this fully-staged production would compare. I needn’t have worried, as everybody involved has absolutely killed it… and that is without writing the words “bring the world of Death Note to life on stage in the best way possible” in their magical notebook. Whether you are a Death Note obsessive or completely new to this world, there is something for everybody in one of the most exciting musicals of the year. Though Death Note is only at the Barbican for 50 performances this summer, don’t expect that to be the end for this faultless production, with a long future life all but guaranteed. To sum it up, this production really is dead good. No notes.

Death Note: The Musical plays at the Barbican Theatre until 12th September. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/musical/death-note-the-musical-tickets

Listen to my conversation with Telly Leung and Grace Mouat in the latest episode of All That Chat on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Photo by Manuel Harlan