My Neighbour Totoro world premiere stage adaptation | Opening Night

Fans of the beloved 1988 Studio Ghibli animated film My Neighbour Totoro can rejoice as its celebrated stage version is now officially open in London!
We were on hand at the Barbican last night to welcome the VIP guests to the green carpet and to meet some of the talented cast, as well as writer Tom Morton-Smith, right after the curtain call.
The company, led by Mei Mac (as Mei), Ami Okumura Jones (as Satsuki), Dai Tabuchi (as Tatsuo) and Haruka Abe (as Yasuko), received a standing ovation inside the theatre with the RSC adding another hit stage adaptation to its résumé.
Find out what everyone had to say in our exclusive opening night video!
The production received a luminous review from WhatsOnStage, describing it as "an incredible spectacle".
The world premiere run continues until 21 January 2023.

[@carlito876]

Every element was so beautiful….I knew the puppets would be amazing but it was way more emotional than I expected….the vocalist alone had me in tears and i wasnt even sure why. This show is really a gift to the world

[@behindtheanimatorsdesk]

The RSC really captured the meaningful magic of Miyazaki’s masterpiece My Neighbor Totoro. And I can’t thank them enough, you all out there should truly be proud! We all truly.. found our spirit 😊💖

[@alexonmymind4925]

Go see this show! I saw it a couple nights ago and let me tell you I cried at every reveal. It just kept getting better and better. Totoro was huge and fluffy and amazing puppets in this show.

[@AnuRadha-tc4zb]

We just saw it yesterday!! The show is great. Initially I felt mei actor is too old and when when I saw first few puppets - cute but not impressive... But THEN!!🔥🔥🔥 If you want to go but don't want to spoil impression - go, you will be happy 👍👍 Actors are very good, after sometime you start believing mei. Life music and singing are amazing. Many people including me where crying. It will be very memorable, I promise

[@andrewlevens9381]

This is the best stage show I've ever seen.

[@sinyeeman372]

這龍貓舞台劇太讚了，充滿童真、愛和驚喜。相信每個喜歡龍貓的人都會受到 Totoro和演員的感動!!! 實在太愛這個演出了！

[@maryksmith8947]

SUCH A GOOD SHOW, my boyfriend and I went to see it last wednesday. I will never forget how magical and heartwarming it was xxxx

[@StuartBakerUK]

We went to see this today and it was amazing. Our kids loved it.

[@RhamaLlamaDingDong]

Gosh I wish I could visit the UK to witness this in person! Also learning they did an adaptation of Spirited Away in Japan!! I hope this encourages people to do more Ghibli stages

[@pho14]

Saw this last night. Absolutely loved it. One of the best stage productions I’ve seen!!! A must see

[@watts1881]

It was so good, so worth seeing, the production is crazy

[@Coral_Memes]

So good!

[@M0M0chaaaaan]

観に行きたいなあ！🌱☂️🌽

[@NARoze99]

I AM SOOOO jealous… I hope they goes outside of the UK

[@msushi98]

Thank god they didn’t whitewash the cast 😂👏 宮崎さん推し!!

[@behindtheanimatorsdesk]

Heheh that’s for sure! It’s good they did that, because otherwise... it would have been kinda strange 😂😅

[@a-un7952]

メイ役の人って本名もメイって言うのね。 てか脇毛凄い。ヨーロッパ人が脇毛処理しないのは知ってるけど、ショービズの人でこれはなかなか見たことないわ。

[@louissofgames8306]

I’m seeing this soon I’m very excited

[@deborahkogan8742]

I wish that I could see it...

[@RagamuffinBabyDoll]

So jealous!!!

[@Asummersdaydreamer14]

2:45 is thereabouts when actual stills & interviews with the cast & creative team shows up. Hope this production finds an audience that appreciates it; this sentiment coming from someone who lives more than a local cat bus ride away from the UK. Appreciate the vocal support to puppetry work, and crossing my fingers that more stills of the puppet work will be released at least by the end of the run. Please?? I only ask for crumbs after an appropriate waiting period 💜💜💜 Apologies to the other people I am skipping over with my time stamp; I do not know enough British celebrities-aside from Broadbent-to be interested.

[@X0XO_O]

When will they come to 🇯🇵????

[@LostHatProductions]

Is it going anywhere in the uk after this run? It’s not just going to die. Also I’m confused that this is RSC but it’s not in Stratford. Will it go to Stratford eventually?

[@KyoushaPumpItUp]

4:40 IT'S THE GUY BEHIND THE SHAMEFUL DISPLAY MEME IN TOTAL WAR: SHOGUN 2

[@troygaspard6732]

Hopefully this will take off.

[@rileycross4359]

Wow!!!!! stage play does boradway musical based on studio ghibli!!!!!

[@redrasegarden]

Am I rude wanting this to come to the states?

[@edgarallanpoestheblackcat6613]

They should have had child actors play the parts of Satsuki, Mei and Kanta.

[@behindtheanimatorsdesk]

I think it was fine though, when you actually go there.. to me I swear they were all both different people. They played a child role so perfectly in my opinion. Specially Mei Mac

[@caril.9384]

That would've been amazing

[@ThisIsAHandle204]

Initially, I felt the same. Just saw it last week and I think the roles are quite demanding physically for child actors.

[@1millionmolecules]

There's a reason child actors don't lead theatre productions when children are the main characters - it's illegal to put children in labour, to make them work, over certain hours. You can manage small roles but you can't get children working 3 hours a night until 10pm when they are basically onstage constantly. So that's why, and hence they shouldn't have had child actors play the roles.

[@edgarallanpoestheblackcat6613]

@@1millionmolecules it’s not child labor if they get paid for it. Look at all of the child actors on big movies and stuff.

[@25971yqop]

Someone tell me how you pronounce it everyone is saying it differently 😂

[@brigoose7945]

well firstly am a huge fan of...of...(shit cant remember his name)

[@71crm]

I’m dying to see what Totoro looks like-why won’t they show us? It’s disappointing to say the least!

[@behindtheanimatorsdesk]

They don’t want to spoil it, I’m happy they didn’t. Because when you actually go there, it’s an amazing surprise! All I can say.. it’s AMAZING! I have never seen puppets like them before.. honestly.. this theatre piece is phenomenal! It’s like no other... if you can. See it!

[@factualopinion8849]

I'm just saying as somebody who's seen it. You will be blown away.

[@behindtheanimatorsdesk]

@@factualopinion8849 I definitely agree!

[@71crm]

@@factualopinion8849 I actually can’t see it because I live too far away, but could you possibly describe it to me?

[@ThisIsAHandle204]

I saw it last month. When I got home I saw someone posted photos/videos of the curtain call on Instagram. They were not supposed to take any photos though. Seems like youtube doesn't let me paste links but you can check the handle cjsdaysout . The post was on Oct 21 and this user has a lot of posts; you need to scroll down quite a bit. Totoro puppet's mouth is movable and they can operate it to smile or to hide their teeth. It felt like there were several Totoro puppets (I could be wrong). In the scene where Totoro is sleeping and Mei hops on their belly. The belly felt like 2-floor high when Totoro is lying down on their back. The cat bus is amazing, it is an inflatable puppet with lights inside and movable lightbulbs on the front that can change angle and flashes at audience on the front row. It's quite big; requires one puppeteer to operate each leg.

[@user-cs7ki5il3o]

千葉へ行った帰りなんだよ、そっとしといてくれ

[@kickasszombie4368]

I was looking forward to going to see this but the fact they got adults playing the children just looks creepy and weird.

[@molybdomancer195]

The show is 2hrs 45 mins including the interval. This means the evening performances end at nearly 10pm. What kids would cope with that?

[@Shinde16]

Looks amazing but Mei and Satsuki should have been child actors. That's the only thing throwing this off for me.

[@molybdomancer195]

Laws in the U.K. on hours child actors can work would make this very difficult. I have just seen one of the evening performances and it finished at nearly 10pm.