Markus Zusak’s best-selling novel, a harrowing snapshot of the Holocaust that also serves as a homage to the power of the printed word, hardly sounds like the stuff of musicals, but Jodi Picoult and Timothy Allen McDonald’s terrific adaptation makes a damn good fist of it.

Set in 1940’s Germany, Zusak’s story unfolds through the eyes of illiterate German girl Liesel, whose fascination with books is partly prompted by the Nazis burning them, but as she learns to read, she also discovers that words are far more than letters on a page, partly through the tutelage of her foster father and friendship with a young Jewish boxer he hides in their cellar.

That lesson, and the hope it provides, are crucial touchstones for the stage show – a musical solely about the horrors of the Holocaust would be a big ask as well as hugely questionable – but to its credit, this brave production never shies away from the horrors of Nazi Germany during the Second World War. The songs might mostly be upbeat, but there’s a constant underlying darkness to proceedings, from the lead-grey set and bleak lighting to the intermittent (last?) gasps for breath audible between scenes.

Death is a constant throughout, and in more ways than one. Not only do we witness the demise of most of the main players, but Death appears as a character too, narrating the show as well as escorting the recently deceased to the afterlife, each time accompanied by a small suitcase. Streams of prisoners were also seen carrying a similar piece of luggage – an effective as well as affecting device in a show that boasts a number of them. The smartest is almost certainly putting, and keeping, Death front and centre. A genial rather than evil persona, he not only serves the important purpose of linking set pieces, but also offers insight into the contemporary resonance of the tale, not least the frightening popularity of Mein Kampf during Donald Trump’s successful election campaign.

Mercifully that element isn’t laboured in a production that maintains a genuine dignity and heart throughout, striking a careful balance between harrowing reminders of real-life genocide, the importance of remembrance and hope at the capacity of human kindness. Liesel personifies, and bears witness to all of the above, and the performance of Eirini Louskou, one of three youngsters rotating in the title role, is nothing short of extraordinary. She’s ably supported by an energetic ensemble cast – Obioma Ugoala as the narrator and Jack Lord as Liesel’s foster father also worthy of special mention – and accomplished band led by musical director Matthew Malone. And if their musical numbers occasionally veer a little close to Broadway showtunes for comfort then it’s a minor gripe about a show that’s genuinely moving, occasionally irritating (sorry Rudy), ultimately uplifting but always engaging.

4 stars

Reviewed by Steve Adams at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry on Tuesday 12 September. The Book Thief continues to show at the Belgrade Theatre until Sat 16 September.