Xander Pang and Colin Ryan Star in Death Note: The Musical in London

Posted in: Comics, Pop Culture | Tagged: barbican, death note

Xander Pang and Colin Ryan Star in Death Note: The Musical in London

Xander Pang and Colin Ryan will star in Death Note: The Musical, opening at the Barbican in London at the end of July

Published Thu, 14 May 2026 04:13:10 -0500
by Rich Johnston
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Article Summary

• Xander Pang and Colin Ryan will lead Death Note: The Musical in London, playing Light Yagami and detective L.
• Death Note: The Musical opens at the Barbican on 30 July 2026 for a strictly limited London season through 12 September.
• The reimagined Death Note musical features Frank Wildhorn’s score, a revised script, and newly written songs.
• Based on the hit manga, Death Note: The Musical follows Light and L in a dark, thrilling battle of justice and power.

HoriPro and Trafalgar Theatre Productions, in association with the Barbican in London, have announced the principal casting for the brand new reimagined production of Death Note: The Musical, based on the bestselling Shueisha manga series by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata. And now Xander Pang (MacBeth, Beyond Paradise, The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical) will play the brilliant protagonist Light Yagami, while Colin Ryan (Hamlet, My Brilliant Friend, The Lightning Child, RSC's Wendy and Peter Pan) takes on the role of the enigmatic detective L.

Xander Pang said: "I cannot explain how excited I am to be playing Light in this totally unique musical and look forward to showing London audiences the wonder of Death Note. To bring this show to the iconic Barbican Theatre is an unbelievable honour, and I can't wait to share this stage and story with such an amazing team, and with everyone who comes to see it!"

Colin Ryan added: "Death Note is truly iconic, so I'm incredibly excited and proud to be stepping into the mind of L. I can't wait to help bring this production to life at the Barbican this summer."

With over 30 million manga copies sold worldwide and a cultural footprint spanning anime, live-action films, and the Netflix series, Death Note remains one of the more influential dark comic book thrillers. Death Note: The Musical comes to London's Barbican Theatre this summer in a newly reimagined production featuring a revised script, newly written songs, and the original score by Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award nominee Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Tony nominee Jack Murphy and book by Emmy nominee Ivan Menchell.

Death Note tells the story of Light Yagami, an exceptionally gifted high school student who discovers a mysterious notebook with a chilling rule: "Any human whose name is written in this notebook will die in 40 seconds." Dropped into the human world by the Shinigami Ryuk out of boredom, the Death Note grants Light the power to eliminate anyone by writing their name.

Disillusioned by a justice system he sees as flawed, Light begins using the notebook to kill criminals, triggering a wave of unexplained deaths. The public dubs the unseen killer "Kira," and as crime rates plummet, supporters hail him as a saviour. With no leads, authorities call in the mysterious master detective L, setting the stage for an intense psychological battle of wits between two brilliant minds.

Originally produced by HoriPro in 2015, the musical has enjoyed acclaimed sold-out productions across Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus record-breaking concerts at the London Palladium in 2023. This new West End-bound reimagining is positioned as the definitive theatrical version of the global phenomenon.

• Stephen Whitson – Director (Hamilton UK, Moulin Rouge! UK)
• Fabian Aloise – Choreographer (Olivier Award nominee for Evita and Sunset Boulevard)
• Jon Bausor – Set Designer (Emmy-nominated for Spirited Away, Bat Out of Hell)
• Jason Howland – Orchestration and Arranger
• Additional lyrics by Morgan Reilly

Death Note: The Musical runs at the Barbican Theatre from 30 July 2026 to 12 September 2026 (strictly limited season).

• Press Night: 11 August 2026 at 7:00pm
• Performances: Monday – Saturday at 7:30pm, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2:30pm
• Running time: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes (including interval)
• Age guidance: 12+
• Tickets: From £25, on sale now from DeathNoteTheMusical.com

The musical is produced in London by HoriPro and Trafalgar Theatre Productions, co-produced by Pinnacle Productions, in association with the Barbican. Tickets and more information at DeathNoteTheMusical.com

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