Manga Musical Death Note is a Storm!
“The real evil is the power to kill people“
Soichiro Yagami
This is the show the countless Manga and Anime fans have been waiting for! Thronging outside the Palladium for just two shows were fans many of whom were in costume, often dressed as Misa (Frances Mayli McCann) in black net and Goth style make-up. There are five more showings due in London with some cast changes at the Lyric Theatre from Thursday 7th September – Sunday 11th September.
As the theatre programme for this show in development, does not yet have any full plot summary, as most in the audience, fans of the anime, do not need it, I shall attempt to summarise Act One for those new to the Manga Death Note series but not Act Two because it has too many spoilers. .
Our hero is Light Yagami (Joaquin Pedro Valdes) a genius high school student and son of the Chief of Police Soichiro (Christian Rey Marbella). In school he is debating the difference between law and justice. Two of the Shinigami Death Gods, Ryuk (Adam Pascal) and Rem (Aimie Atkinson) are fed up with the lack of intelligence of humans and Ryuk is bored. Ryuk drops his Death Note book and it is found by Light. Possession of the book allows the owner, if he knows both the face and the name, to write the name which orders the instant death of another human. He can also write how the person should die.
As Light finds the book, a television news story breaks that a gunman is holding some schoolchildren hostage. Light writes the gunman’s name in the black book and the children are unharmed. Light vows to use his power to rid the world of criminals and although his identity is unknown, he becomes known as the Kira or Hero. The police are charged with capturing Kira and Soichiro recruits the quirky but brilliant detective known only as L (Dean John-Wilson).
Light needs to find L but doesn’t know his name. Ryuk meets Light and offers him Shinigami Eyes in exchange for cutting Light’s lifespan in half. Light refuses. The famous pop idol Misa (Frances Mayli McCann) holds a concert and Light and his sister Sayu (Rachel Clare Chan) attend. Misa admires Kira for his killing the man who killed her parents. She meets Rem and asks for Shinigami Eyes to help Kira.
Death Note the Musical in Concert is trialling to see if the demand will be there for a full production. The scenery and special effects are not yet complete but the rock music is and the night I saw it, the crowd were ecstatic. It has shown in Japan and Korea. The music is written by composer Frank Wildhorn and his songs have variety, some for energetic choreography with guitars, a few for quieter moments with strings. Aimee Atkinson sings Rem’s “Mortals and Fools” as she explains to Misa her past. There is a great duet between Light and his adversary L in “Playing the Game” and a thrilling tennis match staged between the two. Misa’s songs demonstrate Frances Mayli McCann’s incredible range.
In the concert I found the characterisations strong, Light’s extra bright intelligence, Misa’s popularity, Ryuk’s sophisticated boredom and Rem’s desire to do the right thing. L is neuro-divergent with his oddball personality. The performances seem fully formed and the singing is superlative. I loved the costume design, wigs and makeup for the Death Gods and for Misa as emulated by many in the audience.
I look forward to seeing the finished product and to continue the debate about whether taking the life of murderers should go praised and unpunished.
Musical Numbers
Act One
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?
THEY’RE ONLY HUMAN
CHANGE THE WORLD
HURRICANE
KIRA
I’M READY
WE ALL NEED A HERO
THE GAME BEGINS
THERE ARE LINES
SECRETS AND LIES
HURRICANE (REPRISE)
CHANGE THE WORLD (REPRISE)
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE? (REPRISE)
Act Two
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE? (REPRISE)
MORTALS AND FOOLS
STALEMATE
I’LL ONLY LOVE YOU MORE
THE WAY THINGS ARE
WHERE IS THE JUSTICE?REPRISE)
MORTALS AND FOOLS (REPRISE)
HONOR BOUND
PLAYING HIS GAME
BORROWED TIME
WHEN LOVE COMES
THE WAY THINGS ARE
Production Notes
Death Note the Musical in Concert
Book by Ivan Menchell
Lyrics by Jack Murphy
Directed and Choreographed
by Nick Winston
Cast
Starring:
Joaquin Pedro Valdes
Aimie Atkinson
Adam Pascal
Dean John-Wilson
Christian Rey Marbella
Rachel Clare Chan
Frances Mayli McCann
With:
Felipe de Jarano
Jade Copas
Charlotte Coggin
Eu Jin Hwang
Yojiro Ichikawa
Deena Kapadia
David Kar-Hing Lee
Nick Len
Marcel Li-Ping
Jasmine Leung
Jojo Meredith
Janine Somcio
Creatives
Director and
Choreographer: Nick Winston
Set Designer: Justin Williams
Costume Designer: Tamiya Kuriyama
Musical Supervisor : Katy Richardson
Lighting Designer: Ben Cracknell
Sound Designer: Ben Harrison
Arrangements and Orchestrations: Jason Howland
Musical Director: Chris Ma
Original Director: Tamiya Kuriyama
Information
Running Time: Two hours 20 minutes with an interval
Performances at the Palladium on
21st and 22nd August 2023
Performances at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue
7th to 11th September 2023
Theatre:
The London Palladium
8 Argyll St
Soho
London W1F 7TF
Tube : Oxford Circus
Reviewed by Lizzie Loveridge
at the London Palladium
on 21st August 2023
