The Barbican in London is to bring back the furry woodland spirits, mischievous soot sprites and grinning catbus of its smash hit My Neighbour Totoro. The adaptation of the much-loved Studio Ghibli animated film will return later this year after it broke records in 2022.
The production, which received five-star reviews and is nominated in nine categories at the Olivier awards this weekend, will open on 21 November and run until 23 March.
Griselda Yorke, executive producer of the Royal Shakespeare Company, which produces the show in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV, said: “The most extraordinary group of artists have come together from all over the world to adapt this iconic film for the stage, and I am delighted that the production will return. My Neighbour Totoro is a story of imagination and courage which asks us to trust the youngest among us to see further than most of us dare to dream. With our return to the Barbican, many more audiences will be able to experience the joy of Totoro and we can’t wait to welcome them.”
The story of two sisters who discover a magical forest world when they move to a new home has innovative puppetry direction by Basil Twist and music by the film’s composer Joe Hisaishi, who is also the show’s executive producer. Both Twist and Hisaishi (with orchestrator Will Stuart) are nominated for Oliviers.
Casting for the return of the production has not yet been announced. Mei Mac, who played the youngest sister, is in the running for best actress at the Oliviers. Its other nominations are for best entertainment or comedy play, costumes (Kimie Nakano), sound (Tony Gayle), set (Tom Pye), lighting (Jessica Hung Han Yun) and director (Phelim McDermott).
The production, adapted from the film by Tom Morton-Smith, was first announced in April 2022 and broke the Barbican’s box-office record for most tickets sold in a single day. The major puppets for the show made by Jim Henson’s Creature Shop remain shrouded in secrecy and are not included in official production imagery so as not to spoil the surprise.
Priority booking for My Neighbour Totoro opens on 11 April and public booking opens on 21 April.
