The upcoming London concert of The Book Thief has found full casting to join previously announced star Melanie La Barrie (& Juliet) as Death. The stage musical adaptation of Markus Zusak's novel features a book by Jodi Picoult and Timothy Allen McDonald and a score by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson. The concert was originally announced as a one-night-only event for London's Prince of Wales Theatre October 19. Due to popular demand, two extra performances have been added, both on October 26, also at the Prince of Wales.
Taking place in 1930s Nazi Germany, the story follows young, illiterate orphan Liesel, who steals an abandoned book and gains an appetite for them, learning the power of words—and kindness—from the Jewish boxer her foster family hides in the basement.
Newly announced for the cast are Isaac Gryn (Stranger Things: The First Shadow) as Max Vandenburg, Jack Lord (War Horse) as Hans Hubermann, Cat Simmons (Come From Away) as Rosa Hubermann, Leo Abad (Bat Out Of Hell) as Tommy Müller, Matthew Caputo (Hamilton) as Walter Kugler, Oonagh Cox (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as Paula Meminger, Michał Horowicz (The Band’s Visit) as Eva Vandenburg, Thomas-Lee Kidd (Fiddler on the Roof) as Mayor Hermann, Nell Martin (Crazy For You) as Ilsa Hermann, Corinna Powlesland (Grease) as Frau Holtzapfel, Gleanne Purcell-Brown (Shucked) as Barbara Steiner, Edwin Ray (Hello Dolly) as Alex Steiner, Timo Tatzber (Jesus Christ Superstar) as Isaac Kleinmann, and Russell Wilcox (Bonnie & Clyde) as Wolfgang Edel. Casting is by Abby Galvin.
The musical premiered at Manchester's Octagon Theatre in 2022, later playing two additional U.K. runs in 2023. The upcoming concerts will present a revised version of the show, including new songs.
The performances will be directed and choreographed by Tom Jackson Greaves. The concerts will also feature orchestrations and music supervision by Matthew Malone, music direction by Natalie Pound, set and costume design by Good Teeth, lighting design by Nic Farman, and sound design by Sound Quiet Time.
"We couldn’t be prouder to present this new, gorgeous incarnation of The Book Thief in London," said Picoult and McDonald in an earlier joint statement. "As Americans, we are very much aware of how quickly fascism can take hold of a country—this show is the right story, at exactly the right time. To have Melanie La Barrie leading the company as Death, our narrator, is a dream—her immense talent and experience has given us so many colors we writers can paint with.”
"We are so excited to bring this score back to life on stage, with some new songs that have grown and changed with the show's evolution," added Anderson and Samsel. "To have our music in the talented and capable hands of an actor like Mel LaBarrie is a dream come true!"
Deus Ex Machina Productions, Writers' Cage, and Andrew Paradis are producing in association with Bethany Cooper Productions.
Tickets are at DelfontMackintosh.co.uk.
