Every Great Love...
The Judi Dench Theatre, previously named the Shaftesbury Theatre, will be home to the production
Every great love starts with a great story, and The Notebook‘s is heading to the West End in 2027 to tell one of the most classic love stories of them all.
The musical adaptation of The Notebook, which first launched on Broadway in 2024, will premiere in the U.K. with previews beginning March 10, followed by an official opening on April 13. The Judi Dench Theatre, previously named the Shaftesbury Theatre, will be home to the production from directors Michael Greif and Schele Williams.
“The thing that makes a musical so special for me is the collaborative nature of it, and I can’t imagine a better team of people to have built The Notebook,” Ingrid Michaelson, who wrote the music and lyrics for the show, said in a statement. “Getting to revisit and revitalize the piece with Bekah [Brunstetter], Michael, Schele, and the rest of the team for this new production in London is such an honor, and for our musical to be the first at the newly named Judi Dench Theatre is beyond thrilling.”
Brunstetter wrote the book for The Notebook, which is based on Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 novel and Nick Cassavetes’ 2004 film both of the same name.
“I couldn’t have predicted when I published The Notebook 30 years ago that this story would have such a lasting impact around the globe,” Sparks said. “The worldwide response has been incredible, and I’m thrilled to share this latest evolution of the story with audiences in London.”
The cast for the production has not yet been revealed, but will be helmed by Jill Green Casting.
“It’s been such a joy to adapt The Notebook for the stage — it’s such a timeless, universal love story that speaks to so many aspects of life,” Brunstetter said. “Ingrid and I have loved expanding the story so that it truly sings and reaches even more people. We can’t wait to get back in the room with our brilliant creative team and discover this musical all over again for the London audience.”
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In 2024, Michaelson spoke with Rolling Stone about building the musical world around The Notebook, one that is as rooted in love as it is in grief, and often treats them as different versions of the same thing.
“We were striving for a universality and a kind of watercolor memory, floating out of time and space,” Michaelson said. “These people could be you, they could be anybody. Rooting it very fiercely in a time period felt like the wrong choice. We wanted it to feel ethereal. And when you’re playing with memory, and you have multiple characters swirling onstage, dealing with dementia, there is sort of a lack of specificity that goes along with that.”