Overview
- The English-language world premiere opened at the Barbican on 11 August with a limited 50-show engagement that runs through 12 September.
- Reviews single out Xander Pang as Light and Colin Ryan as L for anchoring the production with powerful performances that keep audiences engaged.
- Critics uniformly praise the show's production values — including Jon Bausor’s moving set, Akhila Krishnan’s video design and Jen Schriever’s lighting — for creating a vivid, cinematic Tokyo onstage.
- Several reviewers say the revised book and new songs condense the manga into a 2 hour 20 minute show that loses some of the source material’s psychological nuance, noting a few samey pop-rock numbers and abbreviated character development.
- The staging builds on concert runs in London and the property’s international popularity, features a large, largely young Asian cast and may serve as a commercial test run for a wider West End or touring life.