This hit Disney film is officially coming to London's West End as a musical

an image of the two leading actors Oliver Tompsett and Samantha Barks who will be performing in the greatest showman the musical — (Image credit: Sebastian Nevols)

It may have taken a million dreams to get Hugh Jackman to play a circus ringmaster in a massive blockbuster, but it's not going to take any more wishes to see an IRL production of The Greatest Showman, as Disney’s hit film is heading to London stages soon.

It's the latest movie to be given the glitter wand glow up, having been adapted into a musical earlier this year. After a run at Bristol’s Hippodrome, it’s heading to a London stage soon.

Disney isn’t a stranger to ~~commercialising~~ transforming some of its hit animations into IRL musicals, with its most recent production – Hercules – wrapping up its run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in September. In fact, the little mouse has made a home for itself in London’s historic West End with productions including The Lion King, Frozen, Aladdin, High School Musical, and even Beauty and the Beast having been staged previously. Now, it’s the 2017 Hugh Jackman fronted flick that’s next in line for the treatment.

Roll up, roll up!

The original film followed the ambitious P. T. Barnum trying to leave a creative legacy, and bring something spectacular to the American public, along with his team of misfits-turned-stars. Its musical sister will follow the same storyline, having completed a short run in Bristol before transferring down to the. West End.

The production already boasted some big hitters on the creative side, including director Casey Nicholaw who helmed the musical version of Disney’s Aladdin and whose work you can see all over London stages, including the long-running classic The Book of Mormon. Working alongside him to bring a bit of Broadway magic are the film’s original songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who have written several new tunes to expand the musical, adding a bit of beef to the show's book which has been written by Tim Federle. As well as the music and storyline, the production is expected to incorporate some classic circus skills and scenes, blending the stunts from the film with London's long running connection to Circus spectacles.

Whilst there’s a strong Yankee team on the creative side, thanks to the Bristol tryouts there’s some young British talent bringing the original characters to life on stage. The cast is led by Oliver Tompsett as Barnum and Samantha Barks as Barnum’s wife Charity, who performed in the original Bristol run, and also played Elsa in the West End’s Frozen.

Whilst the musical has been rumoured for a while, with the new cast and confirmed venue, it feels as though London is one step closer to getting the red-velvet jacketed ringmaster and his crew. The Greatest Showman: The Musical will open at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in spring 2027, with an exact date yet to be confirmed.

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Hermione Blandford is the Content Editor for Shortlist’s social media which means you can usually find her scrolling through Instagram and calling it work, or stopping random people in the street and accosting them with a mini mic. She has previously worked in food and drink PR for brands including Johnnie Walker, Tanqueray, Gordon's, The Singleton, Lagavulin and Don Julio which means she is a self confessed expert in spicy margaritas and pints, regularly popping into the pub in the name of research.