One of the very finest shows on London stages is My Neighbour Totoro, an adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s much-loved animated film. In fact, such is its popularity that it broke the Barbican’s box office record for the most tickets sold in a single day in April 2022.
Now at the Gillian Lynne Theatre until March 2026, it continues to be the number one draw for families. But this has always been stirred up by a level of mystery around the show, with particular secrecy reserved for the incredible puppets designed by Basil Twist.
For anyone who has taken their children to see it, you’ll know that the appearance of the puppets sends little ones into a fevered delight, with special awestruck squeals coming from the appearance of the huge puppet of Totoro.
And now, Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), have released brand new artwork for the show which reveals Totoro to the whole world.
The image captures the iconic bus stop scene where Mei and Satuski encounter the forest spirit Totoro for the first time together.
Adapted by Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer) from Hayao Miyazaki’s celebrated 1988 animated feature film, the production is directed by Improbable Co-Founder, Phelim McDermott, and has won six Olivier Awards. The cast includes Victoria Chen in the role of Mei, and Ami Okumura Jones as Mei’s older sister Satsuki.
And while the image shows Totoro, you really have to watch him on stage for the fully glory.
