My Neighbour Totoro review: Puppets that pull on the heartstrings
Published on 21 March 2025
The lights dim at the Gillian Lynne Theatre and the 3D recreation of the film’s iconic opening credits - which has stood still on stage since the sold-out crowd filtered in - comes to life. The letters bounce, and picture book style insects - with the help of an army of puppeteers - scuttle over the title card. My Neighbour Totoro’s spell of pure wonder has begun.
This isn’t just a show - it’s an experience, a celebration of childhood imagination and the quiet magic of the everyday. Back for its second West End run after two critically acclaimed seasons at the Barbican, this adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s Oscar-winning classic is a breathtaking blend of puppetry, music, and nature brought to life.
The story follows young sisters Satsuki (Ami Okumura Jones) and Mei (Victoria Chen) as they move from the city to the countryside with their father, adjusting to a new life while their mother recovers in hospital. What begins as an exploration of their new home soon becomes something more extraordinary as they encounter soot sprites, mischievous forest spirits, and, of course, the giant, enigmatic Totoro. The beauty of My Neighbour Totoro is not in an overly complex narrative, but in the pure joy of childlike wonder, where nature and magic intertwine effortlessly.
Nature itself is a character in this production - trees, crafted from cloth and wood, stretch skyward, while seeds and shoots burst from the ground in dazzling displays of life and renewal. Musicians are nestled among twilight trees, offering a jubilant and whimsical soundscape throughout, and show that we - as much as we distance ourselves from it at times - are part of this delicate ecosystem. Paper butterflies flutter, cornfields grow before our eyes, and even the simplest of everyday moments become breathtakingly poetic.
Of course, Totoro himself is the show’s biggest spectacle - literally. His ever-changing size, his weightless floating above the audience, and his booming presence elicit gasps of awe. But to call him, and the other, more domesticated, creatures, “puppets” feels almost wrong. They have such texture, movement, and personality that they feel undeniably alive - whether it’s the towering, wide-eyed Totoro, the nimble soot sprites, or the brood of chickens, whose chaotic bobbing and darting bring bursts of unexpected hilarity. This is puppetry at its most innovative, and a fitting successor to War Horse, which graced this very stage from 2009-2016.
Yet, for all its stunning visuals, My Neighbour Totoro is ultimately a story about human connection. At its core, it’s about a family finding peace and returning to nature. Mei’s childlike bluntness, from cheeky refusals (“Be a good girl.” “No.”) to her stark honesty (“Is your sister dead?”), keeps the show rooted in reality even as magic swirls around her. Every inch of the stage - and beyond - is used to its full potential. Sprites can be found in the Gillian Lynne foyer, musicians play not just from the trees but from the side of the stalls, and nature itself seems to grow and breathe in real-time.
The joy in the theatre is palpable. The smiles in the audience are as wide as Totoro’s own, as children and adults alike stare in wonder at the little soot sprites and the grand, spellbinding illusions. This is not just a stage adaptation; it is a piece of theatre that makes you feel young again, and makes you appreciate the magical world around you. My Neighbour Totoro is a feel-good, uplifting, and utterly transportive production that reminds us all to find magic in the simplest of things. A puppet show that pulls on the heartstrings.
My Neighbour Totoro plays at the Gillian Lynne Theatre until 29 March 2026.
