My Neighbour Totoro

Find your spirit with the return of the Royal Shakespeare Company and Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi’s “awe-inspiring” (Time Out) and “dazzling” (Guardian) production of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro, in collaboration with Improbable and Nippon TV.

This five-star, award-winning stage adaptation was the most anticipated theatrical event of 2022 and returns to London’s Barbican for a strictly limited 18-week season from 21 November 2023.

“A tender and remarkably beautiful show” (Financial Times), this acclaimed staging of the celebrated 1988 animated feature film by Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) is an enchanting coming-of-age story exploring the magical fantasy world of childhood and the transformative power of imagination, as it follows one extraordinary summer in the lives of sisters Satsuki and Mei.

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.

Directed by Phelim McDermott with production design by Tom Pye, costume design by Kimie Nakano and lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun, this “delightful” (Times) and ground-breaking “triumph” (Telegraph) of a production 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.

All RSVPs will go into a random ballot that will be pulled at 4pm on Thursday 16th November.

You will get an email letting you know if you have been successful or not.

This event is strictly for teachers only and is strictly non-transferable. You may be asked to present ID upon collection of your tickets. We may restrict tickets to one pair per school.

All tickets are subject to availability.

Please ONLY RSVP if you can ARRIVE in time for a 7pm performance start.