Source : @Variety
LONDON — “The Notebook”, the stage musical adapted from Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel, is heading to London’s West End next year and will be the first production staged at the newly renamed Judi Dench Theatre, Variety reported on Friday (Oct 23).
The venue was previously known as the Shaftesbury Theatre. The musical will begin previews on March 10, 2027, ahead of its UK premiere on April 13, 2027, and the run is currently scheduled to continue until December 11, 2027. Tickets go on sale from 10am UK time on Thursday, priced from £20, with 50,000 tickets available at £50 or less, according to the report.
The show is based on Sparks’ 1996 novel and the hit 2004 film adaptation starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, a romance that has become one of the best-known love stories in modern popular culture. The stage version features music and lyrics by singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson, known for the song “You and I”, and a book by Bekah Brunstetter.
The London production will be directed by Michael Greif and Schele Williams, with choreography by Katie Spelman. The West End cast has yet to be announced.
Sparks welcomed the transfer. “I couldn’t have predicted when I published ‘The Notebook’ 30 years ago that this story would have such a lasting impact around the globe,” he said in a statement. “The worldwide response has been incredible, and I’m thrilled to share this latest evolution of the story with audiences in London.”
“The Notebook” musical originally premiered on Broadway in March 2024 and ran until December that year, followed by a US tour. It earned three Tony Award nominations: best actor in a musical for Dorian Harewood, best actress in a musical for Maryann Plunkett, and best book of a musical for Brunstetter.
Michaelson said she was delighted to return to the work with the original creative team. “The thing that makes a musical so special for me is the collaborative nature of it, and I can’t imagine a better team of people to have built ‘The Notebook,’” she said. “Getting to revisit and revitalise the piece with Bekah, Michael, Schele and the rest of the team for this new production in London is such an honour, and for our musical to be the first at the newly named Judi Dench Theatre is beyond thrilling.”
Brunstetter added: “It’s been such a joy to adapt ‘The Notebook’ for the stage — it’s such a timeless, universal love story that speaks to so many aspects of life. Ingrid and I have loved expanding the story so that it truly sings and reaches even more people. We can’t wait to get back in the room with our brilliant creative team and discover this musical all over again for the London audience.”
The wider creative team includes Carmel Dean on music supervision and arrangements, scenic design by David Zinn and Brett J. Banakis, costume design by Paloma Young, lighting design by Ben Stanton and sound design by Nevin Steinberg. Mia Neal handles hair and wig design, orchestrations are by Dean and John Clancy, and casting is by Jill Green. The production is produced by Kevin McCollum, Kurt Deutsch and Jamie Wilson.
The original Variety post can be viewed on X: https://x.com/Variety/status/2113525877799637247.
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