Video: My Neighbour Totoro at the Japanese State Visit to the UK

Watch a video of the cast of the RSC’s My Neighbour Totoro at this month’s Japanese State Visit to the UK.

At an event at the Young V&A in Bethnal Green, the cast of the Olivier Award-winning show, including Mei Mac (Mei) and Ami Okumura Jones (Satsuki), came together to perform the ‘Soot Sprite song’ for Their Majesties The Emperor and Empress of Japan.

200 young people were there on the day, to see some of the puppets from the show, and the special performance.

There was also a specially commissioned My Neighbour Totoro model box displayed as part of the Young V&A exhibition “Japan: Myths to Manga”, which is running at the museum until 8 September 2024.

Earlier this week, Young V&A won Art Fund Museum of the Year 2024, the biggest museum prize in the world. The museum is created for 0-14-year-olds, and celebrates its first birthday on 1 July.

It was announced back in April that My Neighbour Totoro would finally transfer to the West End following two sold-out runs at the Barbican Theatre in London.

The show will run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London for 34 weeks starting March 2025, from 8 March to 2 November 2025.

Based on the much-loved, Oscar-winning animated film by Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbour Totoro has been adapted for the stage by Tom Morton-Smith (Oppenheimer). The production features music by Joe Hisaishi from his iconic movie score, in a new orchestration by Will Stuart, performed by live musicians.

The show won six Olivier Awards, five WhatsOnStage Awards and the Critic’s Circle Awards for Best Design, and scored very impressive reviews from the critics.

Book tickets to My Neighbour Totoro at the Gillian Lynne Theatre London

My Neighbour Totoro

Gillian Lynne Theatre, London

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