The full cast has been confirmed for the West End premiere of the first fully staged production of Your Lie in April at London’s Harold Pinter Theatre.
As previously announced, three of the stars of last month’s two sold-out concerts at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane – Zheng Xi Yong, Rachel Clare Chan and Dean John-Wilson – will return for the 12-week season.
Xi Yong (Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre, The Tempest, Shakespeare’s Globe) will return to the role of Kōsei Arima, with Chan (Death Note The Musical in Concert, London Palladium/Lyric Theatre, Oliver!, Leeds Playhouse) reprising her performance as Tsubaki Miyazono, and Dean John-Wilson (The King and I, Dominion Theatre/UK tour, Death Note The Musical in Concert, London Palladium/Lyric Theatre) returning as Ryota Watari. The lead cast is completed by Mia Kobayashi who will make her professional debut in the production and Rachel Clare Chan (Death Note The Musical in Concert, London Palladium/Lyric Theatre, Oliver!, Leeds Playhouse).
They will be joined by returning actors – Ernest Stroud (Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible) as Takeshi/first cover Watari/second cover Kosei, Jojo Meredith (Pacific Overtures, Menier Chocolate Factory) as Derick/first cover Kosei, Chris Fung (Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Evita, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) as Mi-ike/ensemble, and Eu Jin Hwang (Pacific Overtures, Menier Chocolate Factory, Aspects of Love, Lyric Theatre) as Kaori’s Dad/Judge #1.
The cast will be completed by Daniel Nardone (Grease, Hope Mill Theatre) as swing, Ericka Posadas (Miss Saigon, Sheffield Crucible) as Emi/ensemble, Lucy Park (Come From Away, Phoenix Theatre) as Kosei’s Mom, Gracie Lai (Jersey Boys, Trafalgar Theatre) as Kaori’s Mom/Judge #2, Imogen Law Hing Choy (professional debut) as ensemble and Ria Tanaka (The King and I, West End/UK tour) as swing.
Due to run from 28 June until 21 September, the production is directed and choreographed by Nick Winston, one of several creative team members who worked on the Drury Lane concerts – musical supervisor Katy Richardson, musical director and conductor Christopher Poon, set designer Justin Williams, costume designer Kimie Nakano and casting director Harry Blumenau.
The West End team also includes co-director Jordan Murphy, sound designer Rob Bettle for Sound Quiet Time and Adam Fisher, lighting designer Rory Beaton and video designer Dan Light, with orchestral management by Rich Morris for Music Solutions Ltd and production management by Toby P Darvill.
Based on the seven-and-a-half-million-selling Manga series by Naoshi Arakawa published by Kodansha Ltd, Your Lie in April The Musical features music by multi-Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-nominated Broadway composer Frank Wildhorn (Bonnie & Clyde, Jekyll & Hyde, Death Note The Musical) with a book by Riko Sakaguchi, an English language book by Rinne B Groff and lyrics by Carly Robyn Green and Tracy Miller. Music arrangements and orchestrations are by Jason Howland.
One of the most popular romantic stories and greatest tearjerkers in Manga history, Your Lie in April The Musical brings to life on stage the poignant story of Kōsei Arima, a young piano prodigy who is unable to play following his mother’s death. He strikes a friendship with violinist Kaori Miyazono and she slowly encourages him to perform again. The romantic drama has previously been adapted into a 22-part anime television series and a live-action film.
Describing the stage musical, Wildhorn said: “Your Lie In April is a love letter to the beautiful power of music – to heal, to take us through life’s adventures, to create our most precious memories… I’ve never had more fun than creating this music!”
The stage musical adaptation of Your Lie in April premiered in Tokyo in May 2022, followed by a Japan tour. Forthcoming productions include a Seoul debut in July 2024 and a 2025 Tokyo encore run. The writing team of composer Wildhorn and lyricists Green and Miller also worked together on No Longer Human which premiered in Shanghai in December 2021 and returned to the city in August 2022 following a tour of China.
Angela Thomas
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