“Tonari no Totoro” (My Neighbor Totoro) to be made into a stage production

Miyazaki Hayo’s popular 1988 animated film “Tonari no Totoro” (My Neighbor Totoro) will be made into a stage production by the prestigious British theater company Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC).

It was revealed that Hisaishi Joe, the composer for “Tonari no Totoro”, suggested a stage version and Miyazaki Hayao agreed to it.

Hisaishi is in charge of the music and is an executive producer and it will be performed at the Barbican Theatre in London, England in October.

Hisaishi said, “There are a lot of people in Japan who like musicals and theatrical performances. However, there are no original stage works or musical works from Japan that are being performed all over the world. ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ is a Japanese work that people all over the world know. If it’s on stage, it might be the first work to go out into the world, so I told Miyazaki-san, ‘I want to see it’. Miyzaki-san said, “Only if Hisaishi-san does it”. Since I was involved in the original movie, I have a strong desire not to break the movie. If it is staged in Japanese from the beginning, it will definitely cover what is featured in the movie. Then I thought about doing it in a foreign country. If this work is truly universal-I think it is-even if people who grew up in completely different cultures, we can do it in different languages, it will surely reach people all over the world. Miyazaki-san is a beautiful person. Miyazaki-san’s atmosphere, like always pushing the buttons to the top of the shirt, suits from England. Partly because of that, I was really happy when I decided on RSC. There is a concern that it will become a spectacle if it is staged in a foreign country. I keep telling you that Totoro doesn’t fly around. We are building a good relationship where we can exchange opinions frankly with each other. I think it will be a very wonderful stage. It going to debut in the autumn of this year. Please look forward to it”.

Producer Suzuki Toshio of Studio Ghibli, who also worked on the title, said, “Miyazaki-san kindly agreed that if Hisaishi-san would do it. Hisaishi-san chose the prestigious British Shakespeare Company. How can I meet Totoro? I’m really looking forward to it”.

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