The London staging of Death Note: The Musical is reviewed as an energetic and entertaining adaptation of the hugely popular Japanese manga. By streamlining the original’s more complicated elements, the production becomes a sharp supernatural mystery about power, justice and murder, while retaining its emotional intensity and J-horror atmosphere.

At the Barbican, Xander Pang plays the schoolboy killer Light, Colin Ryan portrays his detective adversary L, and Stephanie Zaharis appears as pop star Misa; Telly Leung and Grace Mouat provide strong support as the deities Ryuk and Rem. The musical, with music by Frank Wildhorn, features athletic choreography, forced-perspective sets, projections and moving stage elements, and follows a previous London run in 2023.