My Neighbour Totoro is playing at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in Covent Garden, London, until 10 January 2027. The producers have confirmed this as the final extension of the West End run, so the number of remaining performances is now fixed. The Royal Shakespeare Company and Joe Hisaishi’s stage version of the Studio Ghibli film puts Satsuki, Mei, the Catbus and Totoro himself in front of a live audience, using puppetry, physical performance and a live orchestra rather than projection or screens.
Ghibli forest spirits built as full size puppets, with Joe Hisaishi's score live from the stage.
Satsuki, Mei and the spirits in the woods
The story follows the one in the film. Two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, move to the countryside with their father while their mother is in hospital, and find that the house and the woods around it are shared with creatures only they can see. It is a quiet story with very little conflict in it, and the stage version keeps that pace rather than adding jeopardy to suit a theatre audience.
What the production adds is scale and craft. The set opens out and folds away in front of you, the forest arrives in pieces carried by visible performers, and the creatures are operated in full view. Small children tend to respond to the puppets and the noise; adults tend to respond to the mother. Both work in the same room, which is a large part of why the show has run as long as it has.
The puppets and Joe Hisaishi’s live score
Puppetry direction and design are by Basil Twist, with Mervyn Millar of War Horse as puppetry associate. The forest spirits appear at several different sizes, as they do in the film, and the Catbus is built to carry performers. The puppeteers stay on stage in full view for most of the show, so you watch the creatures being made to move as well as watching them move.
The music is Hisaishi’s own. His film score has been newly orchestrated for the stage by Will Stuart and is played live by musicians at every performance, with a singer performing the vocal material. If you already know the pieces Hisaishi wrote for the 1988 film, you will recognise the main themes as they arrive, arranged for a theatre pit rather than a recording studio.
Who is in the My Neighbour Totoro cast
The current company has Helen Chong as Satsuki, in her West End principal debut, and Victoria Chen as Mei. Dai Tabuchi plays the girls’ father Tatsuo, Jacqueline Tate plays Granny, and Ai Ninomiya performs as the Singer. They are supported by a large puppetry ensemble who operate the creatures and move the set.
Casts change over a run this long, and the two lead roles in particular rotate. If you are booking to see a specific performer, check the company listed on the production’s official website close to your date.
How long is My Neighbour Totoro and who is it for
The show runs for around two and a half hours including a 20 minute interval, so an evening performance starting at 7pm will finish at roughly 9.30pm. It is performed in English.
Age guidance is 6 and over. Children under 4 are not admitted, and anyone under 16 needs an adult aged 18 or over seated with them for the whole performance. Younger children who know the film usually manage it well, though the theatre is dark and the Catbus is loud.
From the Barbican to the West End
The production had its world premiere at the Barbican Theatre in October 2022 and sold out that run. It returned to the Barbican in late 2023 and played into early 2024, then transferred to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in March 2025 for its first open ended West End run. It passed a year at the Gillian Lynne in March 2026.
Event information
- Event: My Neighbour Totoro
- Booking until: Sunday, 10 January 2027, the final London performance
- Performance times: 7pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 2pm and 7pm Thursday and Saturday; 2pm Sunday
- Venue: Gillian Lynne Theatre
- Address: 166 Drury Lane, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5PW
- Nearest stations: Covent Garden and Holborn
- Running time: Around 2 hours 30 minutes including a 20 minute interval
- Age guidance: 6 and over, under 4s not admitted
- Tickets: From £25, with premium seats from £99.50
Gillian Lynne Theatre
Booking My Neighbour Totoro tickets before the London run ends
Prices split by day. Off peak performances from Tuesday to Thursday run from £25 to £75, with premium seats from £99.50. Peak performances from Friday to Sunday run from £32.50 to £89.50, with premium seats from £125. Booking direct through the theatre avoids booking fees, though a £1.70 restoration levy is included in the price.
Two schemes bring the cost down. Acorn performances price every seat in the house at £30, £40 or £50 on selected dates, which is the cheapest way to sit somewhere good. There is also a family offer on selected autumn performances, where up to four children under 18 go half price with each adult ticket.
With a confirmed closing date, availability on weekend and school holiday dates will tighten first, and the Acorn performances tend to go early. Current prices and dates are listed on the booking pages for the remaining performances.
