Markus Zusak’s bestselling novel The Book Thief is set to become a musical at Bolton Octagon Theatre.
The show will premiere in September 2022, and will be directed by the theatre’s artistic director, Lotte Wakeham.
The Book Thief follows the tale of a young girl who steals books in 1930s Nazi Germany, and has already sold 16 million copies since its release in 2005.
The stage adaptation is written by Jodi Picoult, author of My Sister’s Keeper, and Timothy Allen McDonald, adaptor of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka. The music and lyrics are written by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson.
Jodi Picoult said: “The Book Thief, as a novel, is a blockbuster that has sold over 20 million copies and deeply moved readers all over the world.
“Having the chance to bring it to life three-dimensionally in a world premiere musical at the Octagon is a dream for us!
“We hope that Liesel’s journey will inspire audiences to take a stand in the face of adversity, and to be agents of change in ordinary ways that just might change the world.”
Previously disrupted by the pandemic, this show will now run from 17 September to 15 October 2022.
Following The Book Thief, Noel Coward’s Brief Encounter will run at the theatre from 20 October to 5 November, with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol running from 17 November to 14 January.
Tickets can be purchased on Octagon Theatre’s website.
Words by Maddy Raine
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Image: © Bolton Octagon