Review: MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO, Barbican Centre
Photo credit: Manuel Harlan
We've got a brand new neighbour in London theatre and his name is Totoro! The RSC's ambition was announced to huge anticipation last year; the beloved 1988 Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro would be adapted for the stage and premiere at the Barbican Centre. Now it's finally here and does not disappoint!
Those familiar with the film will understand how huge of an undertaking this is. The titular Totoro is the size of a small house; the "catbus" is almost as big as a genuine bus. A *whole* fantastical puppet world needed to be created to fully realise this magic film onstage. And... they did it! It is exactly what you'd want it to be.
The puppetry design for this production (by Basil Twist in collaboration with The Jim Henson Company) is nothing short of spectacular from the opening curtain (no spoilers from us!) To the five separate versions of Totoro, even to the cornfields, everything is achieved with a certain childlike playfulness that is not afraid to show how things work. And in fact, involves the puppeteers as characters in their own right. It's a joy to see them connect with their creatures - everyone in the audience is a child again in the presence of Totoro.
That's the joy of this show. Every aspect has been put together to allow the audience to truly explore the innocence of childhood; what it was once like to be able to explore your garden and live in your own imagination. Mei Mac and Ami Okumura Jones bring sisters Mei and Satsuki to life with a similar sense of innocence. They embody their respective characters with such enthusiasm it's hard not to suspend your disbelief and fully embrace the wondrous story. We were all once their age, and it's fantastic to live that experience for three hours with them.
Live music is provided by a tree-housed orchestra at the back of the stage. They recreate the music from the film we all love, there is even a vocalist - Ai Ninomiya. It's totally faithful to the classic music of the original film, providing an epic backdrop that brilliantly compliments the action.
In its adaptation to the stage, however, the film’s runtime of one hour and a half has almost doubled to two hours and fifty minutes. It can feel quite long at times, as sequences are slowed down to allow audiences to fully immerse themselves in the music and the world of the play. We feel that it could perhaps be tightened up at some points in the show, but this must be forgiven for its sheer ambition. Nothing on this scale has ever been attempted before so if it is slow to begin with, that's more than ok. It gives us more time to settle into the magic.
The wider set design allows for this. Tom Pye is responsible for various magic tricks in this set that we cannot and will not spoil for you Besties, we can only say that we were sat in awe of the scale that this production has achieved. It is one of, if not the biggest play we have ever seen. We must also commend the Stage Management team, who aid the cast in making sure this scale of production can be pulled off eight times a week consistently. We cannot imagine the choreographed chaos that takes place backstage.
My Neighbour Totoro provides exactly the spectacle you would imagine. For children and adults alike, it will transport and immerse you in a magical world where spirits walk among us. We hope that this production has a life beyond its Barbican Centre run and cannot wait to see it again!
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Callum Wallace
My Neighbour Totoro plays at the Barbican Centre until 21 January 2023, with tickets available here.
