The Royal Shakespeare Company’s award-winning production of My Neighbour Totoro is set to transfer to London’s West End in 2025, following two successful runs at the Barbican theatre. The stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s 1988 Japanese animated fantasy film, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, will open at the Gillian Lynne theatre in March 2025 for a 34-week run. Tom Morton Smith who adapted the film for the stage expressed his excitement that even more people will get to experience the magic and wonder that this production conjures.
The show is based on the story of two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, whose father moves them from their home in the city to the countryside after their mother becomes ill. The two sisters soon find themselves being swept up in an adventure with their new mystical neighbours after they encounter Totoro, the ancient protector of the forest that Mei discovers while exploring her new surroundings.
My Neighbour Totoro has previously won six Olivier Awards and five WhatsOnStage Awards. In a review by The Guardian, the show received five stars, with the reviewer describing it as enchanting and emotionally impactful. The Telegraph’s Dominic Cavendish also gave the production four stars, stating that what fans loved about the film has been beautifully served in this stage version. However, the Evening Standard’s Nick Curtis gave the show three stars, feeling that the story could use more jeopardy, darkness, and more monsters.
The first-run of My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican broke the theatre’s box office record for most tickets sold in a single day. Its second 23-week run at the Barbican concluded last month. The show will open in London’s West End in 2025, with Director Phelim McDermott expressing his honor to share the joy of this production with thousands more in London’s West End. The show is set to close on 2 November of the same year after a 34-week run at the Gillian Lynne theatre
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