The Book Thief
Lyric Hammersmith
- Opens: Saturday, 24 July 2027 -
Booking until: Saturday, 28 August 2027
The Book Thief description
The Book Thief is a musical based on Markus Zusak's best-selling novel about a young girl who discovers the power of words in Nazi Germany.
The story begins in Germany in 1940. Liesel Meminger, a 12-year-old girl, is taken in by a foster family and starts stealing books, which she shares with the people around her as the war draws closer. The narrator is Death, who has grown weary after carrying away countless souls and is searching for a story that might restore a belief in humanity.
Zusak's novel was first published in 2005 and was adapted for the cinema in 2013. The musical version premiered at the Octagon Theatre Bolton in 2022, and this production, based on the original Bolton staging, is its London premiere. The score has continued to develop since then, with new songs added. The show is co-produced by the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, DEM Productions and Writers' Cage, with Andrew Paradis, in association with Bethany Cooper Productions.
The book is by Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister's Keeper, and Timothy Allen McDonald, who wrote the book for the musical Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach. Music and lyrics are by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson, who wrote songs for Disney's Olaf's Frozen Adventure. The director is Tom Jackson Greaves, whose credits include the choreography for the West End revival of Rent. Picoult and McDonald have described the show as "the right story, at exactly the right time."
Book tickets for The Book Thief at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre and see Zusak's story of books, war and survival on stage.
