Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), in collaboration with Nippon TV and Improbable, today announce a 34-week run for Studio Ghibli's record-breaking My Neighbour Totoro at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London's West End.
The production will run from Saturday 08 March – Sunday 02 November 2025, with an opening night on Thursday 20 March. Priority booking opens on Monday 29 April, with public booking from Friday 03 May.
Adapted by Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer) from Hayao Miyazaki's celebrated 1988 animated feature film, the production is directed by Improbable Co-Founder, Phelim McDermott. Winner of six Olivier Awards and five WhatsOnStage Awards, My Neighbour Totoro broke the Barbican's Box Office record for most tickets sold in a single day in April 2022, ahead of its global premiere in October 2022. Following both critical and audience acclaim, the production returned to the Barbican Centre for a strictly limited run in Autumn 2023. The production closed at the Barbican Centre in March 2024.
The Olivier Award Winning adapter, Tom Morton Smith, said: "I am delighted that our take on Totoro will make the move into the West End next year. It's an incredibly special show that has managed to marry beautiful technical design with so much heart and humanity. I am thrilled that even more people will get to experience the magic and wonder that this production conjures. Spending time with these characters and with Miyazaki's incomparable gentle giant has been both a joy and an honour, and I can't wait to once again share this show with audiences both new and returning."
Director, Phelim McDermott said:"I am constantly delighted by the love that My Neighbour Totoro receives from audiences of all ages, both from those who already cherish the film and those newly introduced to the story of Mei and Satsuki. It is truly an honour to share the joy of this production with thousands more in London's West End.
"I am grateful to Nippon TV, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the brilliant cast, creatives, and staff who have helped bring this adaptation of Miyazaki's beloved 1988 film to the stage with such delicacy, beauty, and care. The success of My Neighbour Totoro continues to exceed my own expectations and I am incredibly proud to work on this once-in-a-lifetime theatrical experience."