https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/my-neighbour-totoro-releases-west-end-rehearsal-photos_1666710/
My Neighbour Totoro releases West End rehearsal photos
All aboard the Catbus!

Text by Tanyel Gumushan
Photos by Manuel Harlan

London

27 February 2025

Exclusive: The multi-award-winning My Neighbour Totoro is gearing up to return to the West End, and photos from inside the rehearsal room have been released.

Adapted by Tom Morton-Smith and directed by Improbable’s Phelim McDermott, the production broke the Barbican’s box office record for most tickets sold in a single day when it was first announced in April 2022 – and has only been going from strength to strength since then.

After first premiering at the Barbican to critical acclaim in October 2022, the piece won five WhatsOnStage Awards and six Olivier Awards. The following autumn, it returned to the Barbican for a second sell-out run.

My Neighbour Totoro explores the magical fantasy world of childhood and the transformative power of imagination, following one extraordinary summer in the lives of sisters Satsuki and Mei.

For the West End run, Victoria Chen has joined the company to play the role of Mei. Returning to their roles are Ami Okumura Jones as Mei’s older sister Satsuki, Dai Tabuchi as Tatsuo, Jacqueline Tate as Granny Ogaki, and Ai Ninomiya as the Singer.

The show’s Kazego puppetry ensemble will once again feature Matthew Leonhart, Heather Lai, Shaofan Wilson (Miss Hara) and Anna Kato, who will be joined by new members, Rachel Clare Chan, Sally Cheng, Sabrina Pui Yee Chin, Victor Itang, Gabriel S Janoras, Ronnie Lee, Kumiko Mendl (Nurse Emiko), Annakanako Mohri, Richard Peralta, Lucy Park and Chloe Ragrag, while Nathaniel Tan, WenHsin Lee, Amber Lin, Sera Maehara and Boaz Chad make up the swings.

Phyllis Ho (Yasuko Kusakabe), Steven Nguyen (Kanta Ogaki), Jamie Zubairi (Hiroshi Ogaki) and Deanna Myers (Tsukiko Ogaki) complete the principal cast.

The play will run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre for 34 weeks from Saturday 8 March to Sunday 2 November 2025, with an opening night on Thursday 20 March.

My Neighbour Totoro has production design by Tom Pye, costume design by Kimie Nakano, lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun, movement by You-Ri Yamanaka and puppetry design and direction is by Basil Twist.

The production features music from Hisaishi’s iconic score in a new orchestration by Will Stuart, performed live with sound design by Tony Gayle. Video design is by Finn Ross and Andrea Scott.

Artwork for the stage adaptation of My Neighbour Totoro includes a hand-drawn title by Toshio Suzuki, producer for Studio Ghibli.

London’s West End
My Neighbour Totoro
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