This is London Magazine July Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 38
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Xander Pang and Colin Ryan.
DEATH NOTE: THE MUSICAL
The much-anticipated reimagined
London production of Death Note: The
Musical, has opened at the Barbican
Theatre for a strictly limited six-week
season, until 12 September. Joining
Xander Pang and Colin Ryan is a
spectacular company of exceptionally
talented performers including Stephanie
Zaharis as Misa Amane, Telly Leung as
Ryuk, Grace Mouat as Rem and Paolo
Montalban as Soichiro Yagami.
The show tells the story of Light
Yagami, played by Xander Pang, an
exceptionally gifted high school student
who one day discovers a mysterious
notebook bearing a chilling rule: ‘Any
human whose name is written in this
notebook will die in 40 seconds.’
The notebook, known as the Death
Note, has been dropped into the human
world out of boredom by the Shinigami
Ryuk. Disillusioned by a justice system he
believes fails to punish criminals, Light
tests the notebook’s power triggering the
sudden death of a criminal live on
television. Convinced he has been chosen
to become the ‘god of a new world,’ Light
begins using the Death Note to eliminate
criminals across the globe. As
unexplained deaths mount, the public
coins the name ‘Kira’ for the unseen killer,
with supporters praising his actions as
crime rates plummet. With no physical
evidence to follow, the authorities turn to
the enigmatic master detective L, played
by Colin Ryan, setting the stage for a
gripping psychological battle between two
brilliant minds.
One of the world’s most successful
manga titles, Death Note, first published
in Japan in 2003, has sold over 30
million copies worldwide and grown into
a global cultural phenomenon spanning
feature animation, video games, novels,
films, television adaptations and an
acclaimed Netflix series, including a
blockbuster two-part live-action film.
Originally produced by HoriPro in
2015 with the authorisation of the original
creators, the musical adaptation has since
enjoyed acclaimed productions across
Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan over the
past decade. Death Note was last seen in
London at the Palladium in 2023 for a
series of sold-out record-breaking
concerts. Now the evolution of this
internationally celebrated story continues
on the London stage. Rooted in the
acclaimed original, this reimagining for
the West End is the definitive theatrical
incarnation of this unique story.
Death Note delivers a thrilling
exploration of justice, power, and the price
of playing God. The storytelling is clear,
the stakes are human, and the drama is
universal. Audiences are invited to witness
the clash of minds and morals, where
every choice is fatal, and nothing is
written in stone. If you already know it,
this is the definitive way to experience it.
If you don’t... you should.
www.deathnotethemusical.com
Stephanie Zaharis
PLANETARIUM GO UK AT ZIP
WORLD LONDON
Planetarium Go UK launches this
summer in Zip World London at Queen
Elizabeth Olympic Park with a state-ofthe-art mobile planetarium to bring
science closer to communities across
the UK. Located under the ArcelorMittal
Orbit, the planetarium will remain in
London until 29 August.
‘We’re focused on creating
experiences people genuinely remember,
so bringing Planetarium Go to the
ArcelorMittal Orbit is a really exciting
addition,’ said Andrew Hudson, CEO of
Zip World. ‘Working with partners who
can introduce something fresh and
distinctive is a big part of how we
continue to evolve what we offer visitors,
and we’re looking forward to inviting
people to experience it for themselves.’
The initiative strongly emphasises
accessibility and local collaboration,
working with councils, schools,
universities, museums and astronomical
societies to integrate into the cultural life
of each city it visits. All of this is
supported by high-resolution digital
projection technology installed inside a
high-quality portable structure that
combines innovation, sustainability and
mobility. In this way, the universe will
travel across the United Kingdom with
Planetarium Go UK, bringing the
cosmos to towns and cities and making
scientific learning accessible.
Flora Oppenheimer
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
