The Greatest Showman stage musical to open at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027
Disney Theatrical Group announced at D23 in Anaheim on Aug. 14 that the stage adaptation of the 2017 film The Greatest Showman will open at London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027, starring Oliver Tompsett and Samantha Barks.
Disney announces West End transfer
Disney Theatrical Group announced on Friday, Aug. 14, at the D23 fan event in Anaheim, California, that the stage adaptation of the 2017 film The Greatest Showman will open at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in London's West End in spring 2027. The announcement follows a sold-out world premiere run at the Bristol Hippodrome earlier this year, which The Independent dates to March 2026. The news was revealed during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event at the Honda Center in Anaheim.
Principal cast revealed
The West End production will star Oliver Tompsett as P.T. Barnum, with Samantha Barks as his wife, Charity Barnum. The principal cast also includes Ben Joyce as Phillip Carlyle, Vajèn van den Bosch as Jenny Lind and Malinda Parris as Lettie Lutz. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. Tompsett's stage credits include roles in Wicked, A Knight's Tale, Ghost, & Juliet, Pretty Woman, Kinky Boots, Guys And Dolls and Mamma Mia!. Barks previously performed in Les Miserables and appeared in the original film's cast.
Creative team and score
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the EGOT-winning duo who wrote the film's songs, return to write the stage production's score. Tim Federle pens the book, while two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw directs and choreographs. The score will bring back the film's signature songs, including "The Greatest Show," "A Million Dreams," "Come Alive," "Rewrite the Stars," "Never Enough" and the Golden Globe-winning "This Is Me," alongside new songs written specifically for the stage. The creative team also includes Alex Lacamoire on music supervision and orchestrations, David Korins on scenic design, Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser on costume design, Natasha Katz on lighting design and Peter Hylenski on sound design.
- The Greatest Showman film released, starring Hugh Jackman
- Film soundtrack spends two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200; 'This Is Me' wins Golden Globe for best original song
- Sold-out world premiere run at the Bristol Hippodrome
- Disney Theatrical Group announces West End premiere at D23 event in Anaheim
- West End production opens at Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Disney executives on the production
Anne Quart and Andrew Flatt of Disney Theatrical Group described the musical as "open-hearted, exuberant and unapologetically joyous" in a statement. They praised the collaboration among Pasek and Paul, Federle, and Nicholaw, and noted the company's longstanding relationship with Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
We're thrilled to begin this next chapter in our long association with Theatre Royal Drury Lane - this feels like a very special homecoming.
Film legacy and firsts
The musical is based on the 2017 20th Century Studios film starring Hugh Jackman as Barnum, with a story by Jenny Bicks. The film's soundtrack spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2018. The production marks the first 20th Century Studios title, formerly 20th Century Fox, to be adapted for the stage by Disney Theatrical Group. The Seelig Group, a producer of the original film, is also producing the musical. Disney has not disclosed plans for a Broadway transfer. Theatre Royal Drury Lane, which reopened following a restoration completed in 2021, currently hosts Nicholaw's production of Hercules.
