Disney Theatrical Group brings its first 20th Century Studios stage adaptation to London’s West End in Spring 2027, launching a production of The Greatest Showman at Theatre Royal Drury Lane following a sold-out run at the Bristol Hippodrome and featuring a principal cast led by Oliver Tompsett and Samantha Barks.
The stage adaptation of the hit 2017 motion picture The Greatest Showman will premiere in London’s West End at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in Spring 2027. Disney announced the theatrical debut during the D23 event in Anaheim, confirming the production’s return to the London stage following an earlier, sold-out pre-West End run at The Bristol Hippodrome.
Based on the 20th Century Studios motion picture featuring a story by Jenny Bicks, the project is the first 20th Century Studios title to be adapted for the stage by Disney Theatrical Group. The Seelig Group, which produced the original film, returns as a producer for the musical adaptation.
Starring Cast and Creative Team Leading the West End Premiere
The production has locked in its principal company for the London run. Oliver Tompsett steps into the central role of legendary carnival huckster P.T. Barnum, starring alongside Samantha Barks as Charity Barnum. They are joined by Ben Joyce as Phillip Carlyle, Vajèn van den Bosch as Jenny Lind, and Malinda Parris as Lettie Lutz, with further casting announcements expected ahead of opening night.
Tompsett brings an extensive stage background to the role, including credits in A Knight’s Tale, & Juliet on Broadway and in London, Pretty Woman, Kinky Boots, and Rock of Ages. Barks, widely known for her theatrical work in Les Misérables, Frozen, Chess, and The Last Five Years, won the 2025 series of The Masked Singer after competing on the BBC television series I’d Do Anything. Joyce has previously appeared on stage in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Back to the Future, and Jersey Boys, alongside television work in The Power. Van den Bosch brings past Disney theatrical experience from productions of Frozen, Mary Poppins, and Tarzan, as well as a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Favourite TV Star won in 2017. Parris joins the company following stage credits in Hadestown, Hercules, and & Juliet.
Music, Direction, and the Legacy of the Original Soundtrack
The stage musical preserves the film’s celebrated musical identity while expanding its score. The production features songs by EGOT-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who wrote the music for La La Land and Dear Evan Hansen. The score brings back established favorites such as The Greatest Show
, A Million Dreams
, Come Alive
, Rewrite the Stars
, Never Enough
, and the Golden Globe Award-winning This Is Me
, alongside newly composed songs written specifically for the stage adaptation.
Tim Federle authored the book for the production, while two-time Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw handles direction and choreography. The creative team also features Alex Lacamoire overseeing music supervision, incidental and dance music arrangements, and orchestrations, alongside David Korins on scenic design, Gregg Barnes and Sky Switser on costume design, Natasha Katz on lighting design, and Peter Hylenski on sound design. Additional design roles are filled by George Reeve for video, Lorenzo Pisoni for circus creation, Josh Marquette for hair and wigs, Milagros Medina-Cerdeira for make-up, Jeremy Chernick for special effects, and Skylar Fox for illusions, with Justin Paul providing vocal and incidental music arrangements.
“The show is born of a collaboration with an incredible group of artists. Benj Pasek and Justin Paul return with the songs audiences will know and love, alongside exhilarating new numbers created especially for the stage; Tim Federle’s book captures a heartfelt love of theatre and show business; and two-time Tony Award-winning Casey Nicholaw directs an extraordinary cast led by the incomparable Oliver Tompsett and Samantha Barks.”
Anne Quart and Andrew Flatt, Disney Theatrical Group
Venue History and the Broader Disney Theatrical Footprint
The move to Theatre Royal Drury Lane extends a long-standing relationship between Disney Theatrical Group and LW Theatres. The venue has hosted Disney productions since reopening following a major restoration completed in 2021, and currently houses Nicholaw’s production of Hercules.
Disney Theatrical Group, led by Andrew Flatt and Anne Quart, has produced stage shows since its 1994 debut with Beauty and the Beast, accumulating 20 Tony Awards and over 60 nominations across 10 Broadway titles. Globally, the organization’s theatrical productions draw close to 40 million visitors annually across 300 cities spanning five continents. Meanwhile, the stage musical remains entirely separate from Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular, a Disney-sanctioned circus experience inspired by the film that is currently playing at the Empress Museum in Earls Court, London.
While Deadline first reported last year that the project was headed toward the West End with future ambitions for Broadway, Disney has not yet disclosed any official plans for a New York run. Further casting announcements and ticket details for the Spring 2027 London engagement are expected to follow.
