DOG MAN: THE MUSICAL Will Make European Premiere in 2026

Dog Man: The Musical will have its European premiere at  the Southbank Centre from 30 July - 16 August 2026 following multiple sell-out Off-Broadway seasons and US tours. This new musical, for everyone over 5, is based on the book series by Dav Pilkey, also creator of Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club. Tickets are on sale on Friday 5 December at 10am. 

The musical features a book and lyrics by Kevin Del Aguila (two-time Emmy Award-winning  writer of the PBS show Peg + Cat), music by Brad Alexander (Drama Desk-nominated See Rock City &  Other Destinations); and is directed and choreographed by Jen Wineman (NY: Less Than 50%). 

Dav Pilkey’s international hit book series Dog Man has more  than 70 million copies in print worldwide and has been translated into 48 languages, with five of the titles  currently in the Amazon UK top 50 best-selling children’s books. The Dreamworks animated film based  on the books was released earlier in 2025 to great acclaim and box office success. Dog Man: The Musical,  originally produced by TheaterWorksUSA, premiered off-Broadway in June 2019 at the Lucille Lortel  Theatre, extending due to popular demand. The production returned to New York at New World Stages in  March 2023.

About Dog Man

Best friends George and Harold have been creating comics for years, but now that they’re 10, they figure  it's time to level up and write a musical based on their favourite character, Dog Man, the crime-biting  sensation who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!! How hard could it be? 

With the head of a dog and the body of a policeman, Dog Man loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture.  But while trying his best to be a good boy, can he save the city from Flippy the cyborg fish and his army of  Beasty Buildings? Can he catch Petey, the world’s most evil cat, who has cloned himself to exact revenge  on the doggy do-gooder? And will George and Harold finish their show before lunchtime? 

Dav Pilkey, Dog Man author and illustrator said: “Dog Man: The Musical surpassed my highest  expectations. The performances were beyond brilliant, capturing the heart of every single audience member  and leaving everyone, especially me, in complete awe. It is the perfect mash-up of memorable music,  humour, and love. I’m so thrilled to hear that the musical will be premiering in London next year. Kids  and families are in for a treat!” 

Dav Pilkey was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia as a child. He was so disruptive in class that his  teachers made him sit out in the hallway every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories, so he  spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books—the very first adventures of Dog Man  and Captain Underpants. Since then, Dav has written and illustrated a number of bestselling and award-winning children’s books, including the Caldecott Honor book The Paperboy. His Captain Underpants series and Dog Man graphic novels have sold millions of copies worldwide and have been translated into  many languages. Dav lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, but his writing is inspired by children  and adults around the world. His stories explore universally positive themes that celebrate the triumph of  the good-hearted. 

The original creative team for Dog Man: The Musical also includes scenic design by Timothy R. Mackabee (Broadway’s The Elephant Man; Guards at the Taj, Lucille Lortel Award); costume design by Heidi Leigh  Hanson (Regional: The Addams Family Musical, How I Learned to Drive); lighting design by David Lander (Broadway’s The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical; Benghal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, Drama  Desk Award); original sound design by Emma Wilk (NY: The Waiting Game, Regional: The Heiress);  orchestrations by Lloyd Kikoler. Paul Herbert (Rob Brydon Songs and Stories, UK, Australia, NZ tour and  The Wipers Times, West End /UK Tour) joins the team for the European premiere as Musical Director.