On Tuesday, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) announced that its acclaimed stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s beloved film “My Neighbor Totoro,” directed by Hayao Miyazaki, will have a West End run at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre from March 8 to November 2, 2025. Griselda Yorke, the RSC’s executive producer, expressed confidence that the play “will definitely have a life beyond the West End.”
Although speculation arose about a potential Broadway run following the West End stint, Yorke refrained from commenting on or confirming any plans beyond the London engagement.
The stage adaptation of “My Neighbor Totoro” premiered on October 8, 2022, and enjoyed a successful 15-week run until January 21, 2023. Produced by the RSC in collaboration with Hayao Miyazaki’s longtime composer Joe Hisaishi, who also serves as the play’s executive producer.
The adaptation features a script by Tom Morton-Smith (“Oppenheimer”) and direction by Phelim McDermott (“Akhnaten”). The production was developed in partnership with the English theatre company Improbable and Japan’s Nippon TV.
Acclaimed Stage Adaptation of “My Neighbor Totoro” Delights Audiences with Enchanting Storytelling
Following its initial run, the play returned for a second engagement at the Barbican Centre from November 21, 2023, to March 23, 2024. Yorke revealed that the production drew over 290,000 attendees during its time at the Barbican.
The stage adaptation of “My Neighbor Totoro” received widespread acclaim and garnered multiple awards. At the Olivier Awards in April 2023, it secured six wins out of nine nominations, making it the most nominated and awarded production of the ceremony. Additionally, the play triumphed at the WhatsOnStage Awards in February 2023, winning five accolades.
Described as an “enchanting coming-of-age story” that celebrates the magic of childhood and the power of imagination, the production invites audiences into the fascinating world of sisters Satsuki and Mei as they venture on an extraordinary summer adventure in the countryside and encounter the whimsical creature Totoro, visible only to children.
