 |
| Photo: Manuel Harlan/GSC/Nippon TV |
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This is one of the best productions you'll ever see in your lifetime.
The RSC delivers a stunning stage adaptation from one of the world's most famous animation studios, Studio Ghibli. The production smashed box office records, selling over 30,000 tickets on its first day of pre-sales back in May. My Neighbor Totoro has been reworked for the stage by Tom Morton-Smith with the composer of the original film Joe Hisaishi enabling this show to soar.
For those unfamiliar with the movie, the story follows a family of three, a father and his two daughters, as they move from Tokyo to the quiet of the country so that they can be closer to the hospital where their mother is currently staying due to an unspecified illness. While settling into their new home though, they discover they are not the only ones living there as the house is inhabited by harmless spirits. After a few days the youngest daughter, Mai, playing by herself in the garden while her father works and her sister, Satsuki, is at school, witnesses the spirits of the forest and follows them to their home where she meets the title character Totoro where she decides they are now fast friends. The rest o the story follows Mai and Satsuki's continued interactions with Totoro and the other spirits of the forest while they get used to their new life and struggle with the prospect of their mother not getting better.
The stage performance does a fantastic job of bringing all of these characters to life and is an exceptional adaptation of the original animation, staying true to the story, characters and beats. Tom Pye's production design is innovative and inspiring stuff. Directed by Phelim McDermott they used every inch of the expansive Barbican stage to capture the right tone and atmosphere for this story. Entire sets revolve and reveal hidden spaces - never has a set design been so intricately delivered like this.
The puppets used to embody the spirits are truly what stole the show and a lot of that comes down to the talent of the puppeteers, or Kuroko.
A tradition in Japanese Kabuki theatre where the stagehands were often part of the show but when dressed in their all-black attire was to be considered "invisible". Their presence was felt in every scene, from their puppeteering and the fluid way in which they manoeuvred the scenery.
 |
| Photo: Manuel Harlan/GSC/Nippon TV |
 |
| Photo: Manuel Harlan/GSC/Nippon TV |
But the design of the puppets was brought to life by Basil Twist from The Jim Henson Company. They have their own life and magic as they move about the stage interacting with the cast. Totoro specifically was truly wonderful, it must be seen to be believed how this was executed. Totoro had multiple puppets and each time we meet him, we see him through the eyes of a different member of the cast. The puppets are sized to show much larger he is envisioned to the young Mai compared to the older Satsuki.
The cast in this show is phenomenal. From Mei Mac's bounds onto the stage with bags of energy and sass. She perfectly captures a 4-year-old sense of wonder in the world around them. Whereas Ami Okumura Jones aligns comfortably with her older sister Satsuki. She definitely demonstrates her protective and responsible older sibling role. They have a natural chemistry together that works so well in this show. Dai Tabuchi and Haruka are excellent as their parents Tatsuo and Yasuko. Nino Furuhata is a joy to watch as Kanta and the audience absorbed his shy temperament.
This show has something for everyone and will capture your spirit from the first second.
My Neighbor Totoro is a jaw-dropping production that exceeds all expectations and seizes every opportunity to deliver magic. Let's hope it gets the West End transfer it so truly deserves!
My Neighbour Totoro is at the Barbican until January 21st 2023. The entire run is sold out but keep an eye on the website for last-minute availability. http://totoroshow.com/
*gifted tickets.
Add your comment