Death Note The Musical
Review by Noah
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was coming into this show completely blind, having not read the Manga or seeing any of the many adaptations of the original, but I was swept away almost instantly into this heightened world, that slowly became more and more sinister, ending with a bittersweet, but earned conclusion.
Death Note follows Light Yagami, a young man who discovers he can cause someone’s death by writing their name in the supernatural Death Note. He begins by using this book for “good” but as the mysterious “L” is put on the case of tracking him down, his intentions become more and more blurred.
The set is a large brutalist looking structure, (very fitting for the barbican) however you realise it’s limitations around halfway through the first act. Though the simple staging was a breath of fresh air for commercial musical theatre, I do feel my attention began drifting throughout parts of the first half.
The second half, however, is where the show really shines. As the search for Light gets more intense, new story elements are added, and a creative and bold conclusion to the story is found, I found all the emotions and tension that I felt was lacking in act one.
A special shout out to Xander Pang (who played Light) and Telly Leung (who played Ryuk) who’s performances were slick, comedic and tragic in perfect balance, and their chemistry together was a true joy to watch.
The music, composed by Frank Wildhorn (Bonnie & Clyde, and Jekyll and Hyde), sadly didn’t land on this occasion. There are probably around two songs that stuck with me after the show, and in context of the piece there weren’t any truly exciting, or even vocally thrilling, numbers. Everything appeared to balance around the same style and tone. Jack Murphy’s lyrics (The Civil War, and Wonderland) sadly also didn’t quite hit, seeming fairly generic and at points like place holders.
Death Note The Musical is still a complete joy to watch. A decent show glued together by a stellar cast, and in saying all of this, I truly believe there is a five star show in there. I can’t wait to see where the Death Note goes next.