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OHMYGOD HEY!
Earlier this week I was lucky enough to be invited to a press night performance of MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO, the ambitious new stage adaptation of the 1988 Studio Ghibli film which has recently opened at the Barbican Centre in London.
This production is brought to the stage by the Royal Shakespeare Company and makes ingenious and innovative use of puppetry to bring this beloved animated story to the stage.
Check out today’s new review vlog for all my thoughts on this show including detailed descriptions of the puppets (though pictures have been strictly embargoed) as well as some slight criticisms of the adaptation…
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#theatre #westend #totoro #ghibli
39 Comments
I've been waiting for this one
"Totoro my god hey" and this review made my day! Thanks Mickey Jo :))
I recently just got into watching Japanese animated films & have not seen My Neighbor Totoro.
This is a thing?!
I'm not sure how many viewers will get the Theresa May joke, but I appreciated it
Honestly, the story hits different to Asians and the western word so it’s up to interpretation
Oh my god….never?😂you must see the original film. Please don’t see the dubbed version.
I cannot wait to see this show, (if it carries on like Matilda did).
Plz can we have a matilda tralier reaction
WAIT WAIT WAIT! THERES A STAGE ADAPTATION OF ANIME! NOT IN JAPAN!
Me and my (grown up) daughter are seeing this in 3 weeks. She used to watch the Studio Ghibli films a lot with her late Father and they hold a special place in her heart, so I’m glad to hear a positive review and that they have done justice to the film. I think we will be in for a quite a moving experience. Fortunately she already has a lot of Totoro merch, and if she wants another plushie she can definitely buy one herself! 😅
I hope the people that work as puppeteers are back in the comments to share their insight. I went to the Monday of preview week and really loved it. The Cat Bus got the biggest reaction, but I loved Totoro and the U. The set was like nothing I'd seen before.
It’s like war horse without war or the horse – some great stage work but a thin flat story so left wondered what all the fuss was all about
The one acting choice I found odd was that Kanda, the boy neighbour, had an American accent when everyone else had an English one.
I bought my plush from the RSC online shop, it was shockingly £10 cheaper than at the Barbican shop.
You should definitely check out more Ghibli productions. Grave of the Fireflies came out in the same year as Totoro – they were pushed as a double feature. If Totoro gives you feelgood vibes then Grave of the Fireflies is the exact opposite… But it's a brilliant film – not just animated film, but film.
I do hope this show travels and comes to the US! I love studio ghibli and so do my kids. The way you described this sounds like they carried on his art style and whimsy. And also the loving and endearing way you described everything ❤ just a love story to this and it makes me want to see it now! ❤
Considering that 90 minute first act is longer than the entire movie, I can understand why pacing would become an issue, but with the effort required to create these sets and effects I can also understand why they wouldn't want to rush through them
22:08 Whou indeed?
Next, they should adapt Grave of the Fireflies !
I really want to see this show when I’m down in November but really can’t really justify £92.50 for a restricted view seat, unless it’s a really wide and open stage. Also, anyone on here been successful in getting the £25 day tickets online?
I just saw this right now and never seen the anime but YES IT DOES WORK
Thank you for all your good work and wonderful videos!
I hope they bring this to broadway! It looks so magical!!!!
I think any fan of the movie would be THRILLED to know that they included a pretty direct adaptation of one of the most charming scenes. The scene where Mae climbs onto Totoro, while he's breathing and inhaling is the first that comes to mind along with the cat bus. Though I think the cat bus might be more well known since that sequence is still sometimes memed.
This sound amazing. My Neighbor Totoro was originally released as a double feature with Grave of the Fireflies, which is a devastatingly sad movie.
thank you so much for this! haven’t heard enough about this show!
BASIL TWIST did the puppetry design! YOU ARE A LUCKY SOUL to see his work live. Oh my god. they are absolutely wonderful; so much good work they have done go look them up!!!!! And this sounds just like the movie (Totoro does not speak except to utter his name) I am gutted I won't get to see this unless they film it and broadcast it.
definitely watch the movie!! It's amazing and such a wholesome watch <33
So if this is successful, hopefully there's demand for Death Note the Musical<3
I can’t decide what I love more…… the stagey content or watching the stuffed toy collection grow 😂
Thanks for the review, I saw the show this past Monday and I loved it so much that I am going back again this coming Monday.
Totally agree with basically everything you said. This stage adaptation is whimsical, warm and lovely. The puppetry was amazing, actors were great, singer was a good addition, and it’s very cute that the puppeteers in black sometimes were swapping in and out of secondary roles with a minor delay for comedic effects. The material is aimed for a younger audience and plot wise not a lot happen for the duration, but the point is to enjoy the magical world, where in the story itself says Totoro only reveal himself to children because adults loose touch with nature and wonder as we grow up. Keep that in mind and you will have a good time. This is also a very faithful adaptation, which I’m personally thankful for given how special this movie was to me first watching it as a child growing up in Asia, and it reminds me of a more magical and more innocent time.
I’m rushing to return partly because I’m visiting from New York and probably will not return to the UK until after this closes. Also because they had some technical issues, where it started 15 min late and they had to pause for 5-10 min to fix the head of the cat bus that deflated during the big travel sequence at the end. It was funny but a bit horrifying at the same time… It got quite late (10:10pm) when curtain call started so I left to get on a work meeting and kinda regret missing the curtain call. Thanks to your review mentioning the interesting curtain call, i check for tickets again and some new tickets opened up on my last night in London. Looking forward to seeing it again before returning home.
My only “problem” was that the shop ran out of cat bus plushies at the store 😩, and they really only have the gray Totoro plushies of diff sizes. The staff directed me to the RSC store online which turned out to be quite a bit cheaper for some strange reason and have more selections too, including both the white and blue Totoros and even a Totoro holding a leaf. I ordered them on Tuesday morning and received them Friday morning in central London… they are for my god children of course, i was just planning to keep 1 or 2 for myself…
Learn how to pronounce Totoro please! 🤦♀️
I'd love to see this but tickets are so sparse now. We can only hope it has a life after this! The film is so beloved by so many.
I think I want to see the Japanese staging of this production in Japanese one day!
I saw it a couple of weeks ago. It was AMAZING. I loved it. Too bad they went out of hand programs… 😢
they didn't cast asian actors did they… i mean there' that death note musical where they cast white people…
I AM SOOOOOOO Jealous!!!!!! I hope this travels.
Im going to see it so a lil nervous
OMG! Totally sold out!
So is that a play or a musical?