New musical THE BOOK THIEF to play in Coventry and Leicester from Sept 2023

It has been announced that the world premiere of new musical The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak will play in Coventry and Leicester from 11 September.

The stage adaptation of the best-selling novel has a libretto by Jodi Picoult (author of My Sister’s Keeper) and Timothy Allen McDonald (adapter of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and James and the Giant Peach), and music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson.

Casting is yet to be announced, but the production is due to open at The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry before moving to CURVE theatre, Leicester.

The Book Thief had an extremely well-received presentation at the Octagon Theatre, Bolton in 2022, for which it was nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Regional Production.

The story begins with Liesel Meminger’s first act of book thievery, an illiterate girl who steals an abandoned book at a snow-covered grave side in 1930’s Germany. Her appetite for books grows, along with the Nazi regime, and as her foster family hides a Jewish boxer in their basement, he teaches Liesel the power of words, planting the seeds of kindness in a world that is set against them.

Performances of The Book Thief will play in Coventry from 11 – 16 September and in Leicester from 29 September – 14 October.