With Death Note: The Musical just over a week away from its opening at The Barbican Centre on July 30^th, Anime in the UK was lucky enough to sit with one of the cast members, Grace Mouat, for a Q&A.

Grace Mouat is an upcoming star on the West End, with past roles including that of SIX (Swing), & Juliet (Judith/Alternate Juliet), Hair (Crissy), Mean Girls (Karen Smith), and even The Great British Bake Off Musical (Izzy) just to name a few. Now, Grace will be stepping into the role of the shinigami Rem for Death Note: The Musical.

Anime in the UK: Hello and welcome. Thank you so much Grace for taking the time to come and talk to us today here at Anime in the UK, just ahead of your run as the Shinigami Rem in Death Note: The Musical on the London West End.

First of all, how does it feel to bring the character of Rem to life on stage?

Grace: It’s so exciting; it’s like nothing I’ve ever done before! Firstly because it’s the first non-human role I’ve ever played, which is something very exciting [for me] as an actor. Also, getting the opportunity to bring this beautiful, iconic character to life and collaborating with all the different departments [of the theatre].

That’s kind of the joy of doing a brand new musical; everything is new and it has been really exciting to collaborate with Sachika, our costume designer, as well as our wig, hair and makeup team. Because they’re so lifelike, the attention to detail is so incredible. They’re really wanting to kind of honour the anime and honour the manga and the Rem that people know and love, but also, it’s a musical adaptation—emphasis on the word adaptation. So, they also wanted to do something really fresh with it while still making her recognisable. So, that’s been really exciting to do whilst we’re in our technical rehearsals.

Anime in the UK: Not only are you going to create an impact on fans of Death Note, but you will also be introducing general theatre-goers to this incredible story. How does it feel to know that you as the cast will be the one introducing people to this world?

Grace: It’s so exciting, Death Note is so big! I was in Clarks in my hometown and I bumped into someone [I know]. I was telling them that my next job was Death Note: The Musical. The man behind the till went, “Wait, there’s a musical about Death Note?” And I was like, “Yeah, and I’m gonna be in it!”. It was just such a cool moment because it really made me realise what an absolute phenomenon Death Note is. Also not only that, I think Death Note in general and Death Note: The Musical really appeals to the theatre [and theatre-goers]. To be locked into this incredible venue at the Barbican [will be an amazing experience], especially if they’re into thrillers, investigation types of stories and psychological thrillers. I think it’s [the idea of] getting to see that on stage in real life and be a part of that story in such a vast but intimate venue is so exciting.

Anime in the UK: Reflecting on your audition for the musical versus now, how do you think you have evolved as both your character and yourself as an actress?

Grace: Oh, I love this question! I think going into the audition, obviously I knew that it was for a Shinigami, so it’s been a lot. I think my journey has been a lot through [the] physicality [side of things], but actually not as much as I thought I was going to be doing because it’s really interesting the way they’ve done it in terms of the Gods of Death. They want them to feel relatable and human because you need to be on their side, [and] you need to understand why Rem is going through this journey of not really wanting to be involved in the human world and eventually being fascinated [by it through] her relationship with Misa. To actually do that is to make her [seem] more human, even though I’m going to look so different and look like a Shinigami.

It’s like I’ve been [trying to] find how I [can] play that to still help me connect with the audience, which has been really interesting to do. That was something I didn’t really know how we were going to do that when I was auditioning for the show. But yeah, just getting to know the character a bit more, getting to know the world a bit more [has helped], especially moving into the theatre and seeing the set and everything. I think the audition to tech rehearsal journey has been really fast, so I’m excited to keep exploring with it.

Anime in the UK: What would you like the audience to take away from this performance?

Grace: Well firstly, I think just the feeling of escapism. The world is a pretty dark place at the moment, not that I’m saying that Death Note: The Musical is going to bring you lots of joy because it’s also pretty dark. Just that having that time to switch off, get your brain thinking, and immersing yourself in another world and a bit of fantasy and psychological thriller. Like, really have that escapism is always just a lovely thing I find about going to the theatre. Whatever day you’ve had, you can just switch off and watch a story and [focus on] a bit of storytelling, so that’s nice. And also, I’m sure people found this [while] watching the anime and reading the manga and deciding whose side you’re on. I don’t know, are you Team L or are you Team Light?

Anime in the UK: I don’t know, it’s a hard one. I mean, I remember watching the anime, then the live action movie and then reading the manga, and it’s funny how different versions make you feel differently about a very similar ending. I think its down to each viewer to make up their mind on what side to be on and what to take from the story. I always found it interesting on how the anime and movie end on very similar shots, but both make you feel very different, so it’s going to be interesting to see how Death Note: The Musical’s take on the ending. [I mean], you have a lot to fit into a two and a half hour show.

Grace: Yes, I think that is the importance of art.

Anime in the UK: What was the most challenging aspect of this production for you?

Grace: That’s a good question I haven’t had, [but] I’ve had a lovely time. I wouldn’t say anything’s been particularly challenging. Maybe kind of; I guess on the topic of the previous question, we’re squeezing as much as we can into this production. I’m trying to talk without giving anything away. So, we finish at a certain spot. However, we are getting a lot in there for the anime fans and for the manga fans. There’s so many different stories going on! We’ve got L and Light, we’ve got Ryuk and Light, we’ve got Rem and Misa, we’ve got Rem and Gelus… we’ve got all these different relationships going on and we’re having to get through those journeys in just over a couple of hours. So, trying to work out in my head what’s happening in-between my moments and in-between my scenes that maybe the audience aren’t necessarily seeing on stage, that’s been quite challenging. [That], and trying to really grow my relationship with Misa, and you know [as a fan] there’s some lovely moments in there. And trying to decide with Steffi (who plays Misa) what’s been happening in between scenes as us, [both] as actors and as our characters to really kind of have a place for each moment.

Anime in the UK: So with opening night getting closer, how is the fitting for your costume going?

Grace: Oh, it’s very good. We’re so nearly there. And as I said, Satoko, our designer, has been just amazing at honouring [both] the manga and the anime, but also bringing such a fresh new take to Rem. She is so amazing at sourcing the most beautiful materials. I don’t think I’ve ever worn a costume that is so iconic, ever. So yeah, that’s been really fun I think [about] when we get to put it all together with the wig and with the makeup. I think I’m gonna really be able to get into my Shinigami mode [once it’s all on].

Anime in the UK: Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule. It’s been a pleasure talking to you today and [we are all] really looking forward to your performance as Rem at Death Note: The Musical in London!

Grace: Thank you so much for having me. We’ll see you at the show!

Death Note: The Musical is being performed at the Barbican Centre between 30th July and 12th September. You can get your tickets from Here.

Also, you can watch a sneak peak of Grace in action from the Death Note: The Musical thanks to the London Media Preview Event.

I would like to thank Grace Mouat for taking time out of her busy schedule for this wonderful interview, as well as the Death Note: The Musical PR team for allowing me this opportunity. Finally, I would also like to give a huge thanks to Kelly-Mae Matt for writing the interview questions and editing, and for Rebecca Harisson for helping me edit.