The Greatest Showman is bringing its big top to London’s West End. Disney Theatrical Group announced on Friday, Aug. 14, that the stage adaptation of the 2017 hit film will premiere at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027.
The announcement arrives after the production’s world premiere run at Bristol Hippodrome earlier this year, which sold out completely. The news was revealed during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.
The West End staging will feature Oliver Tompsett as P.T. Barnum, with Samantha Barks as his wife, Charity Barnum. Ben Joyce is set to play Phillip Carlyle, Vajèn van den Bosch takes on Jenny Lind, and Malinda Parris portrays Lettie Lutz. Additional cast members will be revealed at a later date.
The musical is based on the 2017 film that starred Hugh Jackman as Barnum, who rises from unemployment and hardship to create a spectacular circus that eventually evolves into the famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
The film’s soundtrack achieved significant commercial success, spending two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2018. The album featured performances by the movie’s cast, including Jackman, Barks, Zac Efron, Zendaya, Michelle Williams, and Keala Settle. The track “This Is Me” also took home the Golden Globe for best original song in 2018.
The London production will revisit beloved favorites such as “The Greatest Show,” “A Million Dreams,” “Come Alive,” “Rewrite the Stars,” “Never Enough,” and “This Is Me,” while also introducing new music crafted specifically for the stage. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the songwriting duo behind the film’s score, will return to compose the musical’s music. Tim Federle is writing the book, and Casey Nicholaw is attached to direct and choreograph, according to Variety.
With the creative team reassembled and a star-studded cast in place, the West End production of The Greatest Showman promises to deliver the same spectacle and rousing anthems that made the film a global phenomenon, now tailored to the live stage.
