The Royal Shakespeare Company announced that the theatrical adaptation of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki’s classic ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ will be returning for a limited run of 18 shows this Fall. Tickets will go on sale beginning April 11th.
Premise of My Neighbor Totoro:
“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.”
‘My Neighbor Totoro’ is the winner of five WhatsOnStage Awards and was nominated for an nine Olivier Awards. The theatrical adaptation is produced together by The Royal Shakespeare Company and Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi, in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV, and adapted by Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer).
The stage play is directed by Phelim McDermott with production design by Tom Pye, costume design by Kimie Nakano and lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun. ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ also features 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.
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY (RSC)
The Royal Shakespeare Company is a theatre and learning charity that creates world class theatre, made in Stratford-upon-Avon and shared around the world, performing plays by Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as well as commissioning an exceptionally wide range of original work from contemporary writers. Our purpose is to ensure that Shakespeare is for everyone, and we do by that unlocking the power of his plays and of live performance and out learning and education work throughout the UK and across the world.
JOE HISAISHI
Joe Hisaishi started to show his interest in minimal music when he was a student at Kunitachi College of Music, Japan, and started his career as a contemporary music composer. Presentation of MKWAJU in 1981 and the release of his first album Information in the following year was the kickoff of his career as a solo artist. Starting with Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Hisaishi has produced music for 10 Hayao Miyazaki films. He also composed the music for HANA-BI directed by Takeshi Kitano, Departures directed by Yojiro Takita, Villain directed by Sang-il Lee, The Tale of Princess Kaguya directed by Isao Takahata and What A Wonderful Family! series directed by Yoji Yamada.
STUDIO GHIBLI
Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animated film directors Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki and has produced 24 feature-length films.
The Studio’s Spirited Away (2001), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) and Princess Mononoke (1997) are among Japan’s top 10 grossing films. Studio Ghibli films have garnered numerous awards and critical acclaim from film critics and animation specialists around the world. Spirited Away was awarded the Golden Bear as the Best Feature Film at the 2002 Berlin International Film Festival and won the 2002 Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature Film. In October 2001, Studio Ghibli, in conjunction with The Tokuma Memorial Cultural Foundation for Animation, founded the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka, designed by Hayao Miyazaki.
IMPROBABLE
Improbable are pioneering improvisers, theatre makers and conversation facilitators, led by founding Artistic Directors Phelim McDermott and Lee Simpson.
Recent productions include: The Hours, Metropolitan Opera House; My Neighbour Totoro, Royal Shakespeare Company, Nippon TV presented at Barbican (winner five What’s On Stage Awards including Best Director for McDermott); Perfect Show For Rachel, created by Zoo Co at Barbican; An Improbable Musical, co-produced with Royal & Derngate, Northampton; Tao Of Glass, commissioned with Manchester International Festival, Perth Festival, Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen, Hong Kong New Vision Arts Festival and Carolina Performing Arts – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in association with Naomi Milgrom AO.
NIPPON TV
Nippon Television Holdings, Inc. is a media and content company whose core operation is broadcasting. At the nucleus of its businesses is subsidiary Nippon Television Network Corporation, Japan’s first commercial television broadcaster that hit the airwaves in 1953.
For even more on the production, and its collaborators, see the full press release for the theatrical adaptation of My Neighbor Totoro.
