Following two sold-out runs at the Barbican Theatre, the My Neighbour Totoro stage adaptation returns to London for a third time, now at the West End.
Studio Ghibli films are our comfort movies. The Japanese animation studio is responsible for beautiful films like Grave of the Fireflies, Princess Mononoke and Kiki’s Delivery Service. One of our RadioTimes.com Digital Writers remembers their friend lending them Spirited Away on video, and they watched it every day for weeks — their mum used to come into the living room and say ‘You’re not watching that film where the parents turn into pigs again, are you?’ (she didn’t get it).
We’d beg our grandparents to rent Howl’s Moving Castle and Ponyo from the video shop (official name, uncertain). But no film gives us quite so much comfort as My Neighbour Totoro.
The Royal Shakespeare Company and Joe Hisaishi production premiered at the Barbican Theatre on 8th October 2022, and it was announced that My Neighbour Totoro would be coming to London for a second time, also at the Barbican Theatre, from winter 2023.
We were lucky enough to see My Neighbour Totoro during its second Barbican run, and we were impressed with the special style of puppetry (wind spirit style, where human puppeteers are used instead of machines) and the music, too. The stage adaptation being brought to life by the film’s original composer Hisaishi and Oppenheimer’s Tom Morton-Smith.
If you missed out on tickets to see My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican, don’t worry! The theatre show is transferring to London’s West End for a limited time only. Here’s how to secure tickets.
Sign-up for My Neighbour Totoro priority booking at LW Theatres
For the latest theatre news, be sure to stay up to date with our Going Out section for updates such as West End spring deals and 101 Dalmatians tickets.
Will My Neighbour Totoro return to London?
The six-time Olivier Award-winning production of My Neighbour Totoro comes to London’s West End in 2025 at the Gillian Lynne Theatre 💚 Sign up to secure priority booking.@totoro_show #FindYourSpirit https://t.co/ctnCxIUAsV pic.twitter.com/coC9uEpqmt
— LW Theatres (@LWTheatres) April 24, 2024
It was announced today (Wednesday 24th April) that the celebrated 1988 Studio Ghibli film will be coming to the Gillian Lynne Theatre after two sold out runs at the Barbican theatre.
The Gillian Lynne Theatre is currently showing Standing at the Sky’s Edge, and it’s located in the capital city’s West End. The theatre is easy to get to via the underground, with Holborn station (for the Central and Piccadilly lines), Tottenham Court Road station (for the Elizabeth, Central and Northern lines) and Leicester Square station (for the Northern and Piccadilly lines) all within walking distance.
Sign-up for My Neighbour Totoro priority booking at LW Theatres
Calling all theatre lovers! Read our best West End shows and how to get cheap theatre tickets guides.
How long is My Neighbour Totoro at the West End?
The My Neighbour Totoro stage adaptation has a two hours and 40-minutes run time, which includes an interval. It will be showing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre for a limited 34-week run from 8th March 2025.
If you’re familiar with the Japanese animation’s story, you’ll understand that the story has a lot to pack in. If you’re not familiar with the magical story, let us fill you in. Don’t worry, we won’t spoil it.
Written by Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki, My Neighbour Totoro follows two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, in 1950s Japan. The sisters relocate to a house in the countryside to live with their professor dad, as their mum has been hospitalised with tuberculosis, and they soon discover their new abode is haunted by soot spirits (susuwatari).
Not long after their arrival, the girls encounter the protector of the forest, Totoro, who is described as a ‘forest spirit who looks like the result of an experimental breeding programme involving a chinchilla, a barn owl and a bean-bag sofa’. The story is a wonderful coming-of-age classic, which features themes of grief, loss and adventure.
Sign-up for My Neighbour Totoro priority booking at LW Theatres
How much do My Neighbour Totoro tickets cost?
At the time of writing (Wednesday 24th April), the My Neighbour Totoro ticket price hasn’t been confirmed. However, tickets for My Neighbour Totoro at the Barbican started from £25 per person (not including the booking fee), so we’re crossing our fingers and toes that the pricing for the West End run will be similar.
Sign-up for My Neighbour Totoro priority booking at LW Theatres
Have you heard of Loop Earplugs? In our Loop Earplugs review, we put the viral noise-dimming earplugs to the test for six months.
How to get My Neighbour Totoro tickets for London’s West End
Priority booking for My Neighbour Totoro will take place on Monday 29th April at 10am. To sign-up for priority booking, be sure to head over to LW Theatres.
General on sale will take place at the end of the week, on Friday 3rd May at 10am.
Sign-up for My Neighbour Totoro priority booking at LW Theatres
Looking for top things to do in Brighton? Then take a look at our best Brighton experience gifts guide.