A stage adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro is coming to London’s Barbican this autumn.

The much-loved 1988 anime by Hayao Miyazaki will be brought to the stage by its original composer Joe Hisaishi, with a script by the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Tom Morton-Smith. It will feature puppets by the renowned puppeteer Basil Twist, as well as live music courtesy of Hisaishi.

“In Japan, many people are passionate about theatre and musicals, but there are no original Japanese shows or musicals performed in the world. Totoro is a Japanese work famous throughout the world, and so this stage adaptation could have the potential to reach global audiences,” Hisaishi told the Guardian.

“If the story is universal – as I believe it is – it will have a global reach even if it is performed by people from different cultural backgrounds speaking different languages,” he added.

“This enchanting coming-of-age story explores the magical fantasy world of childhood and the transformative power of imagination, as it follows one extraordinary summer in the lives of sisters Satsuki and Mei,” reads a description of the production. 

The play will run for a limited 15-week season between October 8, 2021 and January 21, 2022. Find out more on the Royal Shakespeare Company website.