Find your spirit with the “awe-inspiring” (Time Out) and “dazzling” (Guardian) MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO, as this five-star, Olivier Award-winning play has now returned to London’s Barbican Theatre for a strictly limited 18-week season until 23 March 2024.
Winner of six Olivier Awards and five WhatsOnStage Awards, this “utterly beguiling” (The Stage) and “jaw-dropping” (Metro) staging of the celebrated 1988 animated feature film is brought to you by The Royal Shakespeare Company and Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi, in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV, and adapted by Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer).
Hailed as “a tender and remarkably beautiful show” (Financial Times), MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO is an enchanting coming-of-age story exploring the magical fantasy world of childhood and the transformative power of imagination, as it follows one extraordinary summer in the lives of sisters Satsuki and Mei.
Sign up to hear more about the unmissable, “huge, healing hug of a show” (The Stage) MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO theatre tickets with LOVEtheatre today!
This enchanting coming-of-age story explores the magical fantasy world of childhood and the transformative power of imagination, as it follows one extraordinary summer in the lives of sisters Satsuki and Mei.
In order to be closer to their mother while she recovers from an illness in a rural convalescent hospital, their father moves the family to the countryside. As the girls explore their beautiful new surroundings, Mei encounters magical creatures and the ancient protector of the forest she calls Totoro.
Although Satsuki doesn’t believe her little sister at first, they are soon both swept up in exciting adventures with their new neighbours–transported to a long-forgotten realm of spirits, sprites, and natural wonder.
Tickets not currently available.
2 hours 45 minutes, including interval.
Haruka Abe (Yasuko/ Puppeteer), Li-Leng Au (Puppeteer), Boaz Chad (Puppeteer), Nino Furuhata (Kanta/ Puppeteer), Andrew Futaishi (Puppeteer), Zachary Hing (Puppeteer), Susan Momoko Hingley (Miss Hara/ Puppeteer), Yojiro Ichikawa (Puppeteer), Arina Ii (Puppeteer), Haruka Kuroda (Nurse Emiko/ Puppeteer), Marian Lee (Puppeteer), Matthew Leonhart (Puppeteer), Mei Mac (Mei), Aki Nakagawa (Puppeteer), Kanako Nakano (Tsukiko/ Puppeteer), Ami Okumura Jones (Satsuki), Michael Phong Le (Hiroshi/ Puppeteer), Tobi Poster-Su (Puppeteer), Si Rawlinson (Puppeteer), Dai Tabuchi (Tatsuo/ Puppeteer), Jacqueline Tate (Granny/ Puppeteer) and Shaofan Wilson (Puppeteer).
Phelim McDermott (Director), Tom Pye (Production Design), Kimie Nakano (Costume Design), Jessica Hung Han Yun (Lighting), You-Ri Yamanaka (Movement), Ailin Conant (Associate Director), Joe Hisaishi (Composer), Tom Morton-Smith (Playwright), Basil Twist (Puppetry), Will Stuart (Orchestration), Tony Gayle (Sound Design), Toshio Suzuki (Illustrator)
Age Guidance: We suggest age 6+, but younger guests are welcome. The show will be quite long (running time 2hours 45minutes, including interval), quite loud in parts and possibly scary for some younger children at moments. Children need to occupy their own seats at all times throughout the performance. This production is not suitable for children under 4 years of age (including babes in arms).
Photography by Manuel Harlan (c) RSC with Nippon TV.
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