The Royal Shakespeare Company's stage adaptation of the Studio Ghibli film, with large-scale puppetry and a live performance of Joe Hisaishi's score.
My Neighbour Totoro is running at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in Holborn, and it's in its final West End run, which takes it through to 10 January 2027. It's the Royal Shakespeare Company's stage adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's 1988 Studio Ghibli film, with Joe Hisaishi as executive producer, Tom Morton-Smith on the adaptation, and Phelim McDermott directing.
The story is the one you'll remember: sisters Satsuki and Mei move to the Japanese countryside and discover a magical world of spirits, including the forest guardian Totoro and the Catbus. The production is built around large-scale puppetry by Basil Twist and Mervyn Millar, with the Jim Henson Creature Shop involved in the puppets' construction. Twist's on-stage wind spirits are operated by puppeteers in costumes that render them nearly invisible, and the film's score is performed live by an onstage band and singer.
It premiered globally at the Barbican in October 2022, where it broke the venue's single-day box-office record, before transferring to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in 2025. The show won six Olivier Awards in 2023, including Best New Play, and five WhatsOnStage Awards.
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Performances run Tuesday to Saturday at 7pm, with matinees on Thursday and Sunday at 2pm. The running time is approximately 2 hours 30 minutes, including a 20-minute interval. Tickets start from £15 with no booking fees, and all tickets include a £1.70 restoration levy. The theatre is at 166 Drury Lane, Holborn, London WC2B 5PW.
