A captivating story told powerfully through music and song, but falling slightly light on opening night

I would be remiss to not first cast some light on the incredibly unique journey Death Note has ridden to becoming a musical. In 2003, Death Note, a Japanese manga (comic/graphic novel) series written and illustrated by Tsugumi Obata and Takeshi Obata, respectively, was first published. In 2006, the anime (animation) adaptation first aired in Japan to widespread acclaim. Its popularity was so huge that two live action Japanese films shortly followed. A musical adaptation then premiered in Tokyo in 2015, before touring Japan and opening of a South Korean production. Jumping forward to 2023 we skip over several seasons of the musical in Japan and South Korea, a Netflix live action film and a concert version opening in Russia, and we land in the present day – Death Note: The Musical In Concert opening at the London Palladium.

Death Note is a fascinating tale of life, death, morality, and justice. Light Yagami (played by Joaquin Pedro Valdes), a genius high school student in Japan, finds a ‘Death Note’ dropped by a Shinigami (a Japanese god of death), Ryuk (played by Adam Pascal). The Death Note is a notebook which allows the writer to kill whoever they choose and in whatever manner they choose, provided they write the name and have the person’s face in mind when writing. Light decides to take justice into his own hands and rid the world of evil people using the notebook. As people keep dying unexpectedly, people suspect someone is behind the killings and ‘Kira’ is the name given to the mysterious killer. The authorities decide they must find this vigilante and bring them to justice and hire the anonymous, renown and quite bizarre detective known as L (played by Dean John Wilson). When L gets closer to uncovering the identity of Kira a second Death Note is given to pop star Misa (played by Francis Mayli McCann) by a different Shinigami, Rem (played by Aimie Atkinson). The story twists and turns and you really struggle, morally, to decide if you are pro the protagonists and anti the antagonists, or vice versa. This battle of principles and unique characters really invests you in the story and it is no wonder it is one of the most popular manga series of all time.

Death Note has built a huge cult following in the 20 years since its first manga was published. This made for an incredible atmosphere as droves of die-hard fans queued at the London Palladium in their costumes waiting for the auditorium doors to open. Every song was met with huge applause, howling and outrageous whooping, showing the scale and influence of Death Note worldwide. I found myself spending 10-20 seconds after every song taking in the audiences’ reaction, a warming theatre experience. That’s  not to say that these reactions were over the top. The score is impressive with music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy, and book by Ivan Menchell, together culminating in two acts with numerous catchy and spectacular anthems. These tracks are powerfully and impressively performed by the whole cast and orchestra. Notably, Aimie Atkinson as Rem, Joaquin Pedro Valdes as Light, Dean John Wilson as L and Francis Mayli McCann as Misa, all hit some incredible notes. Mortals and Fools expertly performed by Atkinson and McCann will be in my head for a month or two, no doubt. The on-stage presence of Pascal (Ryuk) and Atkinson (Rem) in their impressive costumes was met fantastically by the crowd and Wilson’s physicality as the almost always squatting ‘L’ made for an eye-catching performance.  

Although the majority of the sold-out auditorium appeared to be very familiar with the story, not everyone was or will be and so the show has to attempt a fine balance. Enabling those new to Death Note to understand and enjoy the story, whilst allowing those familiar to have a deeper connection with the characters and plot through subtle nods and keeping the show true to its origins. Given the reactions of some of the fans around me, it is safe to assume that the musical was successful in achieving the latter. Ryuk’s love of apples was a constant theme, much like the original and I noticed that some lines were direct quotes from the anime show. However, for the former, I am not sure if it was completely the case, some scenes appeared to rely on prior knowledge leaving some gaps for Death Note novices. That being said, the constant technical issues which meant that mics cut out persistently, sometimes for whole lines at a time, may have meant we missed crucial dialogue. This was a particular issue when Light was reading the instructions for the Death Note, meaning many ‘newbies’ may have been left confused for the rest of the show! It is understandable for opening nights to have some technical problems, but of all the opening nights I have been to this was one of the most jarring, especially as it didn’t get any better, even after the interval.  

I have no doubt that this musical will go on to be a success in Europe as the score is outstanding and performers are talented, but I was slightly underwhelmed. Perhaps this was a mixture of: high expectations, technical issues, and a slight slow burn start possibly due to it being opening night. Actually, not even perhaps, I think I would have given at least 4 stars were it not for so many lines of dialogue and song being lost. Crucial bits of plot were missed, knocking me out of the immersion of the show and high belt notes were disrupted. Issues I might have forgiven for a small venue and small-scale production, but a production as large as this at a venue as grand as London Palladium? If I had paid full price for tickets, I might have had words with someone in the box office – or perhaps not, I wouldn’t want to be on anyone’s Death Note…

If you are a fan of Death Note, you should definitely go and see this story brought to life on stage. I am sure the teething issues will be addressed, and the production will smoothen. If you have never seen, read, or even heard of Death Note before this: head down to a comic store, or catch the anime show on whatever streaming platform you prefer, or buy a ticket to see the musical in concert, or better still, if you can, all three!