Interest

Your Lie in April London Stage Musical Launches "CosPlay Sundays"

The stage musical version of Naoshi Arakawa's Your Lie in April manga, running at The Harold Pinter Theatre in London's West End, is launching "CosPlay Sunday" nights. The first "CosPlay Sunday" event will be at 6 p.m. on July 28 (not July 21).

According to a press release, "Manga and anime fans are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite characters inspired by the show or other manga/anime. All seats in the theatre at this performance will be priced at £27.50 with 10% off official show merchandise for anyone wearing a CosPlay outfit on the night. Show programmes at that performance will be branded with special limited edition CosPlay Sundays stickers."

The release adds, "Cosplayers should be aware that the Harold Pinter Theatre is a raked seated venue with limited cloakroom facilities. Cosplay costumes should leave you free to sit comfortably in a theatre seat, not feature large hats or headpieces that would obscure the view of anyone sitting behind or next to you, and not include any weapons. As the production is a family event, please make sure your costume is suitable for all age groups. Please note the performance will also be open to regular theatregoers."

The "CosPlay Sunday" events will continue until the end of the play's run on September 21.

The play's tickets are available here.

Frank Wildhorn, an American composer known for songs sung by Whitney Houston ("Where Do Broken Hearts Go?") and Natalie Cole, scored the musical. Wildhorn also previously scored Death Note the Musical, and is a Broadway veteran of such hit musicals as Jekyll & Hyde and The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Tracy Miller Schell and Carly Robyn Green co-wrote the lyrics with Wildhorn. Composer Jason Howland (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Jekyll & Hyde) was in charge of the arrangement and orchestration for the musical. Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Mary and The Witch's Flower) wrote the original Japanese-language book for the musical, which was adapted into English by RIN-NE Goff. The director of the London production is Nick Winston.

Arakawa's original manga follows Kōsei Arima, a former child prodigy who lost his ability to play the piano when his mother died. His daily life is monochrome, but it begins to gain color when he meets a female violinist by chance. Kaori Miyazono is an audacious go-getter who is overflowing with personality. Enchanted by the girl, Kōsei begins to rediscover his love for piano when Kaori invites him to be her accompanist for a competition.

The manga debuted in Kodansha's Monthly Shonen Magazine in 2011, and ended in February 2015. The series won the Best Shōnen Manga category in Kodansha's 37th Annual Manga Awards in 2013. Kodansha Comics released the manga in North America, and released the 11th and final volume in December 2018.

A television anime series of Arakawa's manga premiered in 2014, animated by A-1 Pictures. The manga also received a live-action film, which opened in Japan in September 2016. An earlier non-musical stage play debuted in 2017.