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My Neighbour Totoro

When: 21st December 2022 (matinee)

Where: Barbican Theatre, London

Writer: Tom Morton Smith / Hayao Miyazaki

Director: Phelim McDermott


I could tell from the moment this production was announced it was going to be one of those performances that only happens once and is talked about for years to come. Whilst it is still playing at the Barbican and they are yet to announce any further performances, I would be really surprised if they did. Watching it you can tell that they had an absolutely massive budget and that reproducing it in a different theatre would likely cost too much. But, I am so glad I got the chance to see it. 

Taking on such a beloved story, and character, doing it justice is an unimaginable task, but I think this production blows all expectations out of the water. They have done a really good job at keeping the puppets off social media, and so unlike most performances I didn't really know what any of it was going to look like. From the moment the lights go down, you are thrust into this magical world with the puppeteering of the letters of the title on the curtain. It is such a small moment that has no relevance to the story, but it highlights the skill of the puppeteers and immediately sets the tone for the piece to come. I also loved how the puppeteers came in front of the curtain and bowed immediately afterwards. This is one of my favourite things about the direction of the performance, the puppeteers play such a big part in bringing this world to life, and at no point are they hidden away. They are shown off throughout the entire performance and yet it never detracts from the magic of the story. One of my favourite moments is at the end when they puppeteer their characters during the bows but without the puppets, its brilliant and it shows the sheer skill of the performers. 

Clearly I cannot talk about this production without discussing Totoro himself. The first time we meet Totoro is an unbelieveable moment, from the artistry of the puppet itself to the ways in which he is controlled by the puppeteers it is perfection. Not only does he interact beautifully with the other characters, but the small nuiances such as having a stratch every so often, shows the attention to detail, and accentuates the magic by making him feel more realistic. Even the smaller Totoro puppets have so much character. Working with such big and intricate puppets is difficult but the entire ensemble seamlessly interact with Totoro as just another person, once again making it feel more and more realistic. Similarly with the cat bus, the sheer scale of the puppets is astounding especially with the amount of control the puppeteers have over them. turning an inanimate object into a fully believeable and realistic character. 

I also think every performer in this production has been perfectly cast, but particularly Mei Mac who plays Mei. Somehow she manages to perform a young child without making it feel like a charicature, and making the character feel totally realistic and believable but in the style of an animation. Her performance is absolutely astounding and I have no idea how she manages to capture all these nuances. 

The set is absolutely beautiful. Using layering and moving parts it perfectly immerses the audience into the magical world of the forest. Every tiny detail has been beautifully thought through. Yet again, every piece of set seems to become alive throughout the story, whether that be through puppeteering or simply the interaction of the characters. Never does the set set feel overbearing or in the way, and everything has a place in the world of the story. One of the biggest pieces of set is the series of tree houses in the background, in which the musicians are situated throughout the entirety of the piece. I always love when musicians are shown off rather than being hidden away under the stage, but this production takes it one step further making the musicians a part of the forest and in turn a part of the storytelling. 

Everything about this production is incredibly well thoughtout and the result is one of the greatest piece of theatre I have ever seen. I was crying, smiling, laughing and had goosebumps through practically the entirety of the first half. I loved this show so much, I managed to purchase on the day tickets for my younger brother the following day. He is not a theatre person and I have never managed to get him to go to the theatre before, but he absolutely adored this show and still talks about it. I know that it is completely sold out, but I didn't find it that difficult to get on the day tickets. If you get a chance to see this show before it closes please do, you won't regret it. 

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