’s “My Neighbor Totoro” will return to London’s Barbican Theatre for a limited run this fall., in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV.’s celebrated 1988 animated feature film, adapted by Tom Morton-Smith , was announced in April 2022 and broke the Barbican’s box office record for most tickets sold in a single day. The production opened at the Barbican in October 2022 and wasThe coming-of-age story follows one summer in the lives of sisters Satsuki and Mei.
The play is directed by Improbable’s Phelim McDermott with production design by Tom Pye, costume design by Kimie Nakano, lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun and movement by You-Ri Yamanaka. Puppetry design and direction is by Basil Twist, created with puppetry associate Mervyn Millar’s Significant Object and Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. The production features music from Joe Hisaishi’s iconic original score in a new orchestration by Will Stuart, performed live with sound design by Tony Gayle.
Artwork for the stage adaptation of ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ includes a hand drawn title by Toshio Suzuki, producer for Studio Ghibli, who was involved in the planning and production of the original animated film. Griselda Yorke, RSC executive producer, 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 to the Barbican in 2023. ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ is a story of imagination and courage which asks us to trust the youngest amongst us to see further than most of us dare to dream.