Death Note - The Musical @ Barbican Theatre

4.5/5 Stars.

Death Note had been a long time coming for us. We’d rearranged our tickets several times because of Diarmuid’s changing work commitments, and with it only playing a limited season at the Barbican, I was beginning to wonder whether we were actually going to make it.

I’ll be completely honest: I knew almost nothing about Death Note. I knew it was Japanese, had a huge cult following and had been adapted into an anime series and a Netflix film.

Then, on the way to the theatre, Diarmuid casually informed me that it was a horror.

Excellent. He told me everything I needed to know would be explained by the programme, so I bought one. The cover featured a man in a suit holding a notebook, standing inside a giant apple surrounded by black feathers. It explained absolutely nothing. If anything, I wondered whether we were heading into some sort of extremely dark Japanese version of Snow White.

Guys, this is not a Snow White situation.

Based on the hugely successful Japanese manga by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata, Death Note: The Musical has music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy, additional lyrics by Morgan Reilly and a book by Ivan Menchell.

The basic premise is simple. A supernatural god of death called Ryuk drops a mysterious notebook into the human world. Student Light Yagami, played by Xander Pang, discovers that if he writes someone’s name inside it while picturing their face, that person will die.

Light uses the notebook to kill criminals, convincing himself that he’s creating a safer, more just world. But his actions attract the attention of eccentric detective L, played by Colin Ryan, and the two become locked in a battle of intelligence as Light’s idea of justice becomes increasingly distorted by power.

That’s really all you need to know. Going in knowing very little probably made it better because I genuinely didn’t know what was coming.

And despite Diarmuid’s warning, it isn’t particularly scary.

Thank God.

Death Note feels much more like a supernatural psychological thriller than something actively trying to terrify you.

The prospect of Death Note being a musical was also interesting. On paper, a supernatural Japanese story about a notebook that can kill people doesn’t immediately scream musical theatre, and I did wonder whether the songs might feel slightly shoehorned in.

Thankfully, they absolutely don’t.

More importantly, the songs actually drive the story forward. They reveal something about the characters, move the plot along or heighten the tension rather than stopping everything for three minutes while somebody sings because, well, it’s a musical.

And honestly, some of the voices coming out of these people were ridiculous.

Stephanie Zaharis as Misa — WOW.

Diarmuid immediately announced that he wants to see her play Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and having heard that voice, I completely understand why. She has extraordinary vocal power but also makes Misa feel vulnerable, chaotic, obsessive and strangely sympathetic.

Grace Mouat as Rem is equally impressive, bringing an enormous voice and surprising emotion to a character who could easily have been little more than a supernatural spectacle.

Then there’s Telly Leung as Ryuk, whose voice, again, is incredible. He has tremendous fun with a character who sets the whole thing in motion because he’s bored. There’s something wonderfully mischievous about him simply watching the chaos unfold.

At the centre are Xander Pang and Colin Ryan. Pang takes Light from an intelligent young man who believes he is doing something good to somebody increasingly consumed by power. Ryan’s L is scene-stealing: a brilliantly strange genius — physically distinctive, unpredictable, and completely fascinating to watch.

The idea of somebody being given extraordinary power, believing they’re using it for good and gradually becoming corrupted by it isn’t particularly new. But the moral question underneath it is interesting.

If you had the ability to remove genuinely terrible people from the world, would doing it make you a good person? And more importantly, who gets to decide who deserves to die? And how far would you go to protect your power?

I

would have liked the show to explore Light’s psychology a little more because that, for me, is the most interesting part of the story. But ultimately, the plot isn’t what makes this production extraordinary.

It’s the unbelievable level of production that sets this show apart.

I genuinely don’t think I can adequately explain how slick this production is.

Directed by Stephen Whitson, with choreography by Fabian Aloise and set design by Jon Bausor, every movement, lighting cue, sound effect and visual feels precisely considered.

There are huge LED screens, but they never overpower the performers. At one point, a police office sits beneath a digital Tokyo skyline that appears to stretch up towards the ceiling. It’s spectacular, but atmospheric rather than distracting.

The staging constantly transforms around the performers, with screens, platforms, lighting, choreography and video working together so seamlessly that you’re rarely conscious of it.

One example is the introduction of L. The choreography and synchronicity are amazing. When he appears to walk across a line of chairs, the precision involved is incredible. The visual impact of this scene, like many others, is also arresting.

There’s even a tennis sequence between Light and L where the sound of the ball hitting the rackets is perfectly synchronised with their movements.

It’s such a tiny detail, but that’s exactly what impressed me.

Everything feels deliberate.

The lighting, video, sound, choreography, set and performers all work together, creating a production that feels both spectacular and remarkably controlled.

It feels fresh, stylish, intelligent and meticulously thought through.

I went into the Barbican knowing virtually nothing about Death Note and came out absolutely blown away.

The acting, vocals, choreography, lighting, video, sound, illusions and design combine into an incredibly cohesive piece of theatre. There have been several major Japanese productions arriving in London in recent years, and if Death Note is anything to go by, I’m very happy for that trend to continue.

Whether you’re already a Death Note obsessive or, like me, walk in knowing very little and wondering why there’s a man standing inside an apple on the programme, I would absolutely recommend seeing it.

It is genuinely phenomenal.

Thankfully, the Barbican agrees because it is returning from 23^rd March to 15^th May 2027. Get tickets now if you can.

⭐ 4.5/5

♿ Accessibility at the Barbican Theatre

The Barbican is actually pretty good for accessibility once you work out where you’re going.

And that last part is important.

Finding your way around the Barbican can feel slightly like you’ve accidentally entered a puzzle.

For us, Silk Street is the easiest accessible entrance. From there, you can make your way through the Barbican to the lifts towards the back of the building, take the lift down to Level -1 and then cross underneath to reach the theatre.

There are accessible toilets close to the theatre, including facilities marked as priority for wheelchair users. In our experience, people have generally been very good about respecting that priority.

The wheelchair spaces themselves are in boxes towards the rear of the stalls and the view is spectacular.

You’re elevated enough to get a clear view across the auditorium, which is particularly important for Death Note because there’s so much happening visually across the stage.

The boxes can usually accommodate two wheelchair users with companions and don’t feel particularly cramped. However, they narrow towards one end, almost into a triangular shape.

If you or your companion need more legroom, I’d recommend choosing the outer positions rather than the seats further inside the box.

There is one small logistical issue worth knowing about.

Once two wheelchairs are positioned in the box, the person nearest the exit generally needs to leave before the wheelchair further inside can get out. It’s not a huge problem, but it’s useful to know beforehand — especially if you’re someone who likes to make a quick getaway at the end.

Booking has also been straightforward in our experience. We had to change our tickets a couple of times because of Diarmuid’s work commitments and it was relatively painless, with only a small exchange charge.

For anyone like me whose plans sometimes need to move around medical appointments or other commitments, that flexibility makes a genuine difference.

Overall, the Barbican is a good accessible venue with excellent wheelchair sightlines.

You just have to find the theatre first.

And honestly, that might be the biggest challenge of the evening.