The Book Thief – The world premiere stage adaptation of the best selling novel

Saturday 17th September – Saturday 15th October 2022 

Octagon Theatre, Howell Croft South, Bolton BL1 1SB

WORLD PREMIERE STAGE ADAPTATION OF THE BEST SELLING NOVEL

Ahead of its world premiere at the Octagon Theatre Bolton this autumn, the musical adaptation of beloved novel The Book Thief announces its cast.

Led by Ryan O’Donnell (The Serpent, BBC One; Quadrophenia, Plymouth Theatre Royal) as the Narrator, The Book Thief will also star Jack Lord (A Christmas Carol, Leeds Playhouse; West Side Story, Royal Exchange) as Hans Hubermann, Danielle Henry (Doctors, BBC One; After Life, National Theatre) as Rosa Hubermann, and Daniel Krikler (Present Laughter, The Old Vic; Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Universal Pictures) as Max Vandenburg. They are joined by 4 extraordinary young actors; the role of Liesel will be shared by Bea Glancy and Niamh Palmer and the role of Rudy will be shared by Alfie Corbett and Charlie Murphy.

At a snow-covered graveside in 1930’s Germany, an illiterate girl steals an abandoned book – Liesel Meminger’s first act of book thievery.

As Liesel’s appetite for books grows, so does the Nazi regime and the shadow of death is never far away. When her foster family hides a Jewish boxer in their basement, he teaches Liesel the power of words and together they plant seeds of kindness in a world set against them.

Seen on stage for the very first time in a world-premiere new musical based on Markus Zusak’s global best-selling novel, The Book Thief is adapted by award winning author Jodi Picoult.

This spellbinding production is based on Markus Zusak’s worldwide best-selling novel and follows courageous young orphan Liesel as she enters a dangerous game of book thievery in 1930s Nazi-Germany. Directed by the Octagon’s Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham (One Man Two Guvnors, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Peter Pan, Octagon Theatre) and choreographed by Tom Jackson Greaves (Amélie, Criterion Theatre), the script is penned by award-winning author Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper) and Timothy Allen McDonald (adaptor of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and James and the Giant Peach), with music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson (Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, Walt Disney Animation Studios).

Octagon Artistic Director and director of The Book Thief, Lotte Wakeham comments,

“I am  delighted that we’ve assembled such an exceptional cast for the world premiere production of  The Book Thief. We were truly amazed by the outstanding level of talent we saw throughout the  audition process and I am incredibly excited to work with this incredibly gifted company of  actors. They have outstanding theatre credentials from the West End to international touring,  and I’m also thrilled that so many of them hail from Greater Manchester – we’ve been fortunate  to draw from an extraordinary talent pool. Casting our young performers in the crucial roles of  Liesel and Rudy has also been a real joy and I think audiences will be blown away by them.”  

“Based on Markus Zusak’s world-wide best-selling novel, this brand-new musical promises a  spectacular theatrical experience for all, with a beautifully poignant script, sensational musical  score and a visually stunning design. Add in stellar performances from our talented cast of adults  and children, The Book Thief promises to be the must-see production of this autumn.” 

This production is sponsored by Boo Coaching & Consulting. 

Narrator Ryan O’Donnell 

Liesel Bea Glancy / Niamh Palmer 

Hans Hubermann Jack Lord 

Rosa Hubermann Danielle Henry 

Max Vandenburg Daniel Krikler 

Rudy Steiner Alfie Corbett / Charlie Murphy 

Barbara/Ensemble Purvi Parmar  

Liesel’s Mother/Ensemble Katy Clayton  

Ilsa/Ensemble Victoria Brazier  

Nurse/Ensemble Ida Regan  

Mayor/Ensemble Duane Gooden  

Wolfgang/Ensemble Andrew Whitehead  

Alex/Ensemble Matthew Heywood 

Director Lotte Wakeham 

Choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves 

Musical Direction/Orchestrations Matthew Malone  

Design Good Teeth 

Lighting Design Nic Farman  

Puppet Design Samuel Wilde  

Sound Design Andy Graham 

Associate Director Georgia Wang Murphy  

Associate Musical Director George Strickland  

Casting Director Jacob Sparrow  

Assistant Casting Director Olivia Barr 

Production Manager Dan Turner