My Neighbour Totoro

The Royal Shakespeare Company and Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi, present the
global premiere of Japanese creative powerhouse Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro live on stage at London’s Barbican this autumn in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV.

The celebrated 1988 animated feature film by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) will be brought to the stage by its original composer Joe Hisaishi in a landmark new adaptation by the RSC (Matilda The Musical) written by playwright Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer).

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. In order to be closer to their mother while she recovers from an illness in a rural convalescent hospital, their father moves the family to the countryside. As the girls explore their beautiful new surroundings, Mei encounters magical creatures and the ancient protector of the forest she calls Totoro.

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. Directed by Phelim McDermott with production design by Tom Pye, costume design by Kimie Nakano, and lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun, this ground-breaking production will feature puppetry created by Basil Twist and music from Joe Hisaishi’s iconic score in a new orchestration by Will Stuart, performed live with sound design by Tony Gayle.

My Neighbour Totoro will play a strictly limited 15-week season from 8 October 2022 – 21 January 2023 and promises to delight all generations.