Death Note The Musical
- tabithacatlin
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Barbican Theatre
Interview with Chloe Saracco, who plays 'Jerasu'.
Death Note THE MUSICAL?! What an interesting concept for a musical. Have you seen or heard of this anime before? It's an interesting one, and this post is going to tell you all about the musical playing at the Barbican, which is opening TONIGHT (30th July) till 12th September. Catch it whilst you can. You don't want to miss it.
This isn't the first time we have seen an anime brought to the stage; we of course, have the stage adaptation of 'My Neighbour Totoro' showing at the moment at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, we've had 'Spirited Away' at the London Coliseum back in 2025 (back in theatres in 2028), and we also had 'Your Lie in April ', the musical adaptation, back in 2024. This is going to be such an interesting one, and it's such a popular anime that I'm sure you're all dying to see how it's been adapted to stage.
The musical book is written by Ivan Menchell, lyrics by Jack Murphy and directed by Stephen Whitson. It has a brilliant cast of some of the best performers, including Grace Mouat, David Ouch, Nicky Wong Rush, Xander Pang, and so many more brilliant cast members. They are such a strong cast of London's best performers that will bring this new musical to life. It's extremely exciting, and I hope you get a chance to see it!
This interview is with one of the amazing cast. We were lucky enough to speak to Chloe Saracco, who is playing 'Gelus'. I've left out all the details about what the musical is about and what is in store, because she shares it all with us below. What an honour to speak to such an amazing performer; she's just played 'Standby Rapunzel' in the highly loved adaptation of 'Into the Woods' at the Bridge Theatre and 'Princess Mary/cover Natasha' in Natashia Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 at the Donmar. Two shows that both won Olivier Awards and nominations. Let's get into what we talked about, shall we?
Q: Tell us a bit about the show?
A: Death Note is about a notebook that is usually used by the Shinigami, or Gods of death, to kill humans. All one has to do is write a name and picture the face of that person, and they die. Light uses this power to begin killing criminals, but catches the attention of famed detective L. The show follows their pursuit of each other, as told through some bangin tunes, electrifying choreography, and a visually stunning world created by the sets, costumes, and makeup!
Q: What is your role in the show, and how have you made it your own?
A: My role is Jerasu, or Gelus in the anime. I am a Shinigami, or God of death, who is intrigued by humans. The character's arc serves as a cautionary tale to the other Shinigami: they are meant to take human life, not extend it. I feel very lucky to have originated this role and really made it my own. This role hasn't existed in previous iterations of the musical, and it is certainly an interpretation of the character in the anime, but it has a lot of my own ideas baked into it. It's been such a privilege to be able to speak with the director, writer, and choreographer in the room to better understand Jerasu's place among the other Shinigami and fully understand their self-sacrifice. I developed Jerasu's physical language when working on the costume, wig, and makeup of the character, which is texturally quite cracked and falling apart.
Q: How has the anime style been translated to this production?
A: There's something inherently animate about musicals, in the sense that they have this fantastical element of song and dance in them. People break into song and dance to communicate what can't be spoken through words. This format is particularly helpful for something like an anime, where you have thought bubbles and internal dialogue. In a musical, getting to have songs that illuminate that inner dialogue and bring those thought bubbles to life is really useful. The set and the costumes do partly recreate the anime, though they are definitely reinterpreted. Some lyrics and dialogue in the musical are taken word for word from the anime.
Q: How do you think this will introduce people to the story of Death Note?
A: I think this will intrigue people and get them interested in the world of anime, the world of Death Note, because this story speaks to so many different people with different backgrounds and ages. There are themes throughout the show that everyone can relate to: familial relationships, love, loss, death, life, self-sacrifice, being blinded by love. I definitely think this musical will bring people into the fold. I’m excited to see the intersection of Death Note and musical theatre fans coincide.
Q: What is your favourite anime?
A: Death Note - it’s the first anime that I’ve gotten into! When I was auditioning for the project, I did my research and, when I booked it, I watched all 37 episodes to really understand my character! I also grew up around Japanese animation: I watched all the Miyazaki films like 'Spirited Away' and 'My Neighbour Totoro'.
Q: What do you want people to take away from the show?
A: I'd love for people to take away whatever speaks to them. When I first read Death Note and saw it in concert, it got me thinking about morality, what is right and wrong, where we draw those lines and who gets to decide. I'd love people to take away some new songs for their Spotify playlists and come away humming the tunes, or be exposed to a different world that they might not be particularly familiar with. I'd love to see people walk away with an understanding or appreciation for Japanese, or even more broadly, Asian culture, and have a curiosity surrounding that. And feel some kind of connection to or understanding of it. One huge reason all of us do theatre in the first place is to bridge those connections.
Q: What is your favourite song and why?
A: There are too many! I mean, I’m biased… I absolutely adore ‘Mortals and Fools’, which is a duet that my character, Jerasu, sings with the other Shinigami, Rem, played by the wonderful Grace Mouat. I love hearing her dulcet tones and getting to harmonise with her - it’s so beautiful. It’s a great power ballad between two strong non-male characters. I also love ‘Hurricane’ and ‘The Game Begins’. I think the Misa Misa songs are bangers! ‘I’m Ready’ and ‘We All Need A Hero’ are so great, and of course, 'Where is the Justice?’, the opening song, is so catchy.
Q: Why should people come see this show?
A: It’s entertaining; it will have you on the edge of your seat and get you thinking. A lot of time, care and effort has been put into it, and I’m looking forward to people being a part of this celebration of Asian culture, excellence and talent, as well as celebrating a new musical, a new work, and being part of something that has truly never been done like this before
If this has convinced you to see the show, CLICK HERE to book tickets, whilst you still can.