An epic, big budget, polished production with a talented cast, lacking the psychological drama of the gripping source material.Rating
Death Note is a gripping Japanese manga series, written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata. Since its beginnings in 2003, it has become hugely popular, subsequently made into a televised anime and reimagined for the movies. Following an initial launch as a concert performance, this production now hits the stage of the Barbican as a full-on musical with a huge budget and top team of Frank Wildhorn writing the music, lyrics by Jack Murphy and book by Ivan Menchell.
The story tells of student Light Yagami (Xander Pang) who finds a notebook that allows him to kill anyone by writing their name in it. Keen to see what he considers justice done, he sets about remotely executing criminals he feels the system has let off lightly. The original becomes a psychological cat and mouse, full of twists and turns as Light and a genius detective named L (Colin Ryan) try to outwit one another. It’s not quite that here.
The musical condenses the series into a 2 hour 20 minute show that serves plenty. It’s extremely polished with a talented cast and some belting voices. Pang and Ryan deliver powerful performances while Stephanie Zaharis as Misa Amane is a pocket rocket, commanding the stage. Chloe Saracco playing Gelus is a scene stealer, bringing an emotional subtlety that cuts through the dazzle of the wider production. Under musical supervisor Jason Howland, the songs overall are solid rock/pop numbers performed by a terrific live band, but they become a little samey with no particular standouts. A couple of choral pieces add real value, showcasing the accomplished ensemble while contrasting the highly produced sound. Paolo Montalban’s solo as Soichiro Yagami is a magic moment that beautifully hints at Japanese tradition. That ensemble includes slick performers, but the choreography (Fabian Aloise) at times feels predictable and repetitive.
Exciting video design by by Akhila Krishnan alongside dynamic lightning from Jen Schriever are the real stars: the visuals are epic, recreating downtown Tokyo, immersing us in the technological brain of L and suggesting a stadium concert that embraces the entire auditorium. Jon Bausor’s set design too is complex and impressive, with everything from a revolving floor to sliding offices and enormous, industrial, multilevel features dropping from the ceiling. Moments of illusion (Paul Kieve) are fun, playing on light and dark while manifesting ideas of morality and justice existing in grey areas. The shifting architecture similarly suggests uncertainty, as the worlds of gods and humankind interweave.
Central to the story is a notebook connecting these worlds: it’s a thing of power, and weirdly the show doesn’t use its epic capacity to give real presence to it, so never fully encapsulating those supernatural aspects, nor indeed to nod to the story’s anime origins within the superb visual work. Telly Leung as Ryuk is a fabulous performer, elevating the production with surprising humour, and an outfit (Sachiko Nakahara) that’s delightfully creepy; but the role treats him as a human in costume. Neither he nor the impressive Grace Mouat as Rem are ever projected godlike across the heavens, and his solo number has an uncomfortably Disney genie feel. Lacking edginess, at times their characters veer towards panto.
The lack of dramatic depth means Death Note never succeeds as a psychological drama, which the source material really is. The condensed plot and showtime dazzle don’t allow the characters to develop convincing conflict or interpersonal relationships so it’s hard to sympathise with or feel for them. That said, the production quality is flawless and the whole is an epic experience. It perhaps needs to make further baby steps away from the staged concert to achieve its true potential.
Music: Frank Wildhorn
Lyrics: Jack Murphy
Book: Ivan Menchell
Director: Stephen Whitson
Choreographer: Fabian Aloise
Set Designer: Jon Bausor
Musical Supervisor, Orchestration & Arranger: Jason Howland
Additional Lyrics: Morgan Reilly Musical Director: Katy Richardson
Music Producer: Billy Jay Stein / Strange Cranium
Casting Director: Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting
Costume Designer: Sachiko Nakahara
Lighting Designer: Jen Schriever
Sound Designer: Peter Hylenski Video Designer: Akhila Krishnan
Illusions: Paul Kieve
Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Designer: Campbell Young Associates
Death Note: The Musical runs at the Barbican until Saturday 12 September
