PRODUCTION NEWS
CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR DEATH NOTE: THE MUSICAL
Death Note: The Musical has announced that Xander Pang (MacBeth, Beyond Paradise) will be playing the brilliant protagonist ‘Light’ and Colin Ryan (Hamlet, My Brilliant Friend, The Lightning Child) will be playing the mysterious consulting detective ‘L’ when this much-anticipated musical opens at London’s Barbican Theatre on 30 July for a limited six-week season.
The worldwide phenomenon Death Note: The Musical , based on the globally bestselling manga created by writer Tsugumi Ohba and illustrator Takeshi Obata, comes to the Barbican this summer in a newly reimagined musical production, featuring a revised script and newly written songs alongside the original acclaimed score by Frank Wildhorn, with lyrics by Jack Murphy and a book by Ivan Menchell. Following 10 years of acclaimed sold-out productions across Asia and record-breaking concerts at the London Palladium, this much-anticipated reimagined production will open on 30 July until 12 September.
Xander Pang who plays ‘Light’ is at the beginning of his career having previously appeared as Luke at The Other Palace in The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical after obtaining a degree from The University of Cambridge. He said, “I cannot explain how excited I am to be playing Light in this totally unique musical and look forward to showing London audiences the wonder of Death Note. To bring this show to the iconic Barbican Theatre is an unbelievable honour, and I can’t wait to share this stage and story with such an amazing team, and with everyone who comes to see it!”
Colin Ryan who plays L has an extensive theatre background having appeared in Wendy and Peter Pan with the RSC and The Lightning Child at Shakespeare’s Globe alongside TV credits including Wolf King on Netflix. Ryan noted of this incredible role, “Death Note is truly iconic, so I’m incredibly excited and proud to be stepping into the mind of L. I can’t wait to help bring this production to life at the Barbican this summer.”
GRAYSON THE MUSICAL: A FIRST LOOK
A workshop presentation of an exhilarating brand-new musical comedy inspired by the extraordinary life of Sir Grayson Perry comes to Soho Theatre Walthamstow this July for a strictly limited series of preview performances.
GRAYSON THE MUSICAL offers audiences an exclusive early glimpse of this brand-new musical comedy directed by Olivier Award-winner Sean Foley (The Ladykillers, Dr. Strangelove). Funny, irreverent and unexpectedly moving, the show tells the incredible true story of one of Britain’s most celebrated contemporary artists.
Follow Grayson as he struggles to make his mark on the world while never quite feeling like he fits in. From the wrong class, wearing the wrong dress and making all the wrong choices, Grayson’s journey takes him from an Essex working-class council estate to the dizzying heights of the Tate Gallery.
This irreverent Odyssey sees him navigate identity, creativity and self-acceptance via marital breakdowns, career disasters and some life coaching from a six-foot teddy bear named Alan. Combining outrageous humour with emotional honesty, GRAYSON THE MUSICAL features music by Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer: The Opera), book by Sara-Ella Ozbek and lyrics and life story by Grayson Perry himself.
This joyous and riotous new musical is about growing up and embracing who you truly are, touching on themes of family, therapy, art and, of course, cross-dressing – you know, all the usual musical comedy tropes!
KAREN HAUER AND LUCY BENJAMIN JOIN CAST OF STEPPING OUT
Eastbourne Theatres and Trafalgar Entertainment are thrilled to announce that Strictly Come Dancing’s Karen Hauer and actress Lucy Benjamin (EastEnders, The Detectorists) will be starring in a brand-new revival of Richard Harris’s joyful comedy, Stepping Out at Eastbourne’s Devonshire Park Theatre this summer, from Thursday 13 – Saturday 29 August 2026.
The show will then begin a mini tour calling at the Palace Theatre Southend, Fareham Live, and Churchill Theatre Bromley.
Stepping Out follows a group of seemingly mis-matched amateur tap dancers as they prepare for a charity gala performance. Proving ordinary people can do something extraordinary this delightful theatrical experience shows that a series of missteps and mishaps can lead to something truly special.
This brand-new production promises an uplifting night of theatre, as we follow the group on their journey which is packed with humour, warmth, and relatability.
From the acclaimed Eastbourne Theatres production team, and once again directed by Chris Jordan, whose previous summer productions include The Invisible Man, The Play What I Wrote, The Hound of the Baskervilles, and 39 Steps this tap-dancing feelgood comedy will enchant audiences of all ages.
Karen is a true Strictly fan favourite and holds the accolade as the longest-serving female professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, appearing on the legendary BBC dance show for 14 years from 2012 until 2025. In this new production of Stepping Out, she takes on the role of Mavis, the teacher of a dance class full of rather hapless but enthusiastic amateur tap dancers. Karen returns to the stage in Eastbourne following her storming performance with Gorka Marquez in Speakeasy in 2025.
Karen said: “I’m so pleased to be performing in Eastbourne this Summer in this brand-new production of Stepping Out. It’s a play about ordinary people achieving extraordinary things through dance and in the role of their teacher and mentor, it certainly resonates with me! I’m looking forward to dusting off my tap shoes and working with a great company of actors and dancers to bring this heart-warming, feel-good comedy to the Devonshire Park stage.”
Lucy Benjamin is best known for her work in television favourites including EastEnders and The Detectorists. She rose to national prominence for her role as Lisa Fowler in the iconic BBC soap EastEnders, a character central to several high-profile storylines, including the famed “Who Shot Phil?” plot. Other television roles include The Bill, Casualty, and Doctors, alongside stage work for the Royal Shakespeare Company and musicals and touring plays. She also braved the outback as a contestant on I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2009.
