The Greatest Showman musical to come alive on the West End stage in 2027
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Disney’s stage adaptation of The Greatest Showman will open at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027, following a sold-out eight-week run in Bristol. The transfer brings the 2017 film and its chart-topping soundtrack to a major West End venue, where it will follow Disney’s current production of Hercules.
Oliver Tompsett and Samantha Barks will reprise their roles as PT Barnum and Charity, alongside Ben Joyce, Vajèn van den Bosch and Malinda Parris. The show features the film’s songs, including This Is Me and Never Enough, plus new material by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul; it is directed by Casey Nicholaw and incorporates circus, magic and aerial staging. A separate London production, Come Alive!, uses the original songs but tells a different story.
- The Greatest Showman reaches the West End in 2027.
- Bristol’s leading cast will return.
- The production adds new songs and spectacle.
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The Greatest Showman is a 2017 musical film inspired loosely by the life of American showman PT Barnum, who became known in the 19th century for creating popular travelling entertainments. The film stars Hugh Jackman and tells a fictionalised story about Barnum building a circus while pursuing success and social acceptance.
Its songs, written by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, became widely popular after the film’s release, including This Is Me and Never Enough. The story’s themes include ambition, family, belonging and the treatment of people presented as outsiders.
The West End is London’s main commercial theatre district, home to many large-scale musicals. Theatre Royal Drury Lane is one of its best-known venues, and the new production is distinct from Come Alive!, another London show that uses music from the film but tells a separate story.
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