My Neighbour Totoro to make West End transfer
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| By
Sian McBride
The Kusakabe family are no strangers to moving home, which will make their transfer to the Gillian Lynne Theatre a breeze! The multi award-winning production will cycle into the West End on the 8 March 2025, where it will play for 34-weeks. Tickets will go on sale next Friday, 3 May 2024. So set your alarms because, just like the dust sprites, they won’t stick around forever!
Winner of six Olivier Awards and five WhatsOnStage Awards, My Neighbour Totoro broke the Barbican’s Box Office record for most tickets sold in a single day, ahead of its global premiere in October 2022. Following both critical and audience acclaim, the production returned then returned to the venue for a strictly limited run at the end of last year.
The breathtaking play follows sisters Satsuki and Mei, as they settle into their new home in the countryside. As the sisters explore their new surroundings, young Mei encounters magical creatures and the ancient protector of the forest she calls "Totoro" – and they are to be the girls’ neighbours. 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.
Adapted by Olivier Award winner, Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer) from Hayao Miyazaki’s celebrated 1988 animated feature film, the production is directed by Phelim McDermott.
Commenting on todays announcement, Morton Smith gushed ‘“I am delighted that our take on Totoro will make the move into the West End next year. It’s an incredibly special show that has managed to marry beautiful technical design with so much heart and humanity. I am thrilled that even more people will get to experience the magic and wonder that this production conjures. Spending time with these characters and with Miyazaki’s incomparable gentle giant has been both a joy and an honour, and I can’t wait to once again share this show with audiences both new and returning.”
My Neighbour Totoro features 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 score in a new orchestration by Will Stuart, performed live with sound design by Tony Gayle. Video design is by Finn Ross and Andrea Scott. Casting is yet to be announced.
Book tickets to My Neighbour Totoro when they become available
My Neighbour Totoro tickets will go on sale next Friday, 3 May 2024, and promises to be the hottest ticket of 2025.