News
Totoro Stage Play Moves to London's West End in March-November 2025
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
The Deadline news source reported on the news with a headline ending "With Broadway Next," but its article noted that Yorke would not comment or confirm the production's hypothetical plans after West End.
My Neighbor Totoro had a 15-week run from its premiere on October 8, 2022 to January 21, 2023. It was presented by the RSC and Hayao Miyazaki's longtime composer Joe Hisaishi, who created the music for the original film and serves as the play's executive producer. Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer) adapted the story, and Phelim McDermott (Akhnaten) directed the production. The play was made in collaboration with the English theatre company Improbable and Japan's Nippon TV.
The play had its second run at the Barbican Centre from November 21 through March 23, 2024. Yorke reported that over 290,000 attendees eventually saw the production at the Barbican.
The play won six awards at the Olivier Awards in April 2023, and was nominated for three more. The play had the most number of nominations and wins, with nine nominations and six wins. The play also won five awards at the theatrical WhatsOnStage Awards in February 2023.
The RSC describes the production on its website:
"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.
The original anime film My Neighbor Totoro is the story of two young sisters, Mei and Satsuki, who move to the countryside and encounter Totoro, wonderful creatures which only children can see.
