Your Lie in April at Harold Pinter Theatre

A bittersweet harmony of classical music, Japanese manga and cheesy Broadway musical; possibly trying to capitalise on the recent success of other Japanese-origin shows Spirited Away and My Neighbour Totoro, Your Lie in April opens at the Harold Pinter Theatre. It’s based on the immensely popular manga by Naoshi Arakawa, which has already spawned an anime series, live-action movie and previous stage adaptation in Japan.

Kōsei Arima is a high schooler along with his friends Tsubaki Sawabe and Ryota Watari. He is a former child prodigy on piano, but after his mother dies, he suffers a mental breakdown that stops him being able to hear the sound of his piano. So he stops playing altogether. One day, transfer student Kaori Miyazono shows up asking to be introduced to Watari as a love interest. As a competing violinist, Kaori slowly reintroduces Kōsei to the world of classical music and the two grow closer.

This is a typical Japanese love story in that it’s tinged with melancholy, exploring sorrow as much as it explores joy, and representing the magic of transient periods of our lives. It tries its best to fill audiences with wonder one moment and then make them cry the next.

Broadway veteran Frank Wildhorn employs a score of big, in-your-face songs while classical piano and violin bring the show back down to earth. There are a couple of odd moments where the production flips a little too quickly from softly played classical piano to the belting out of a show tune lyric – but generally, the blending of the two worlds works.

In a wonderful performance, alongside his acting and singing duties, Zheng Xi Yong as Kōsei plays the piano live on stage. Meanwhile, Mia Kobayashi makes her professional debut as Kaori and showcases her incredible singing voice that will no doubt make her a future star of the stage.

For die-hard fans of the manga, this is almost certainly an unmissable five-star show. It’s not every day your favourite Japanese story is brought to life on a West End stage (although it does seem to be happening quite a bit at the moment), and any flaws can be paved over with existing knowledge and appreciation of the story.

Those unfamiliar with the source material may find it a little over the top at times, excessively sentimental or that a lack of exploration of the secondary characters leaves them feeling somewhat two-dimensional. But put that aside, embrace the cloying emotional cheesiness, and there’s plenty to enjoy.

Jim Compton-Hall
Images: Craig Sugden

Your Lie in April is at Harold Pinter Theatre from 28^th June until 21^st September 2024. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.