Spirited Away is the latest Studio Ghibli to transfer to London’s West End.
Following the success of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of My Neighbour Totoro, which was the big winner at this year’s Olivier Awards, Hayao Miyazaki’s animated classic Spirited Away will also be given the theatrical treatment.
The Japanese film from 2001 follows Chichiro, a young girl as she goes on a quest through the spirit world after her parents are turned into pigs. It was first adapted for the stage in Japan last year.
The production, a collaboration between Toho Theatrical Department and Tony Award-winning director John Caird, will transfer to the London’s Coliseum for a limited run beginning in April until July 2024.
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The Japanese-language production will feature English captions, with the cast of the original sold-out run in Japan, including Chihiro actors Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi, performing in the show. Puppets will be used to bring director Miyazaki’s magical world to life.
Director Caird said: “I am proud and delighted to present the original Japanese stage production of Spirited Away at the Coliseum Theatre next year. We had a wonderful time creating the show in 2022 and I’m so happy now to be spiriting away a British audience into Hayao Miyazaki’s magical world.
Mone Kamishiraishi in the Japanese production of ‘Spirited Away'— (Toho Co)
“A world of gods and frogs, dragons and sorcerers, giant-sized babies and bouncing heads, spider-armed boilermen, no-faced loners and a young girl’s valiant quest for courage, identity and love.”
Last year, Miyazaki’s 1988 film My Neighbour Totoro was adapted for the stage in a production, which ran at the Barbican.
The show, starring Mei Mac, won six Olivier Awards. It will return for a second run from November 2023 until March 2024.
The cast of ‘My Neighbour Totoro', which returns to the Barbican later this year— (Manuel Harlan/RSC with Nippon TV)
In her four-star review of the production, which features a giant rabbit-like creature, The Independent’s Annabel Nugent wrote: “It’ll be hard to find a Studio Ghibli fan unimpressed with My Neighbour Totoro – and for those unfamiliar with Miyazaki’s cartoon world, this stage adaptation welcomes you with open, fluffy arms.”
Meanwhile, Miyazaki’s final Studio Ghibli film, titled The Boy and the Heron, has set box office records in Japan, despite the lack of a marketing campaign.
According to local news, the film made 1.83bn yen ($13.2m/£10.1m) in its opening weekend in July, making it the biggest opening weekend in the history of Studio Ghibli.
The Japanese box office is often described as slow-paced compared to the US market, with films continuing to perform steadily and even growing in popularity months after their initial release.
