Photos: Inside Opening Night of Studio Ghibli's MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO at the Barbican

Last night (Thursday 30 November), Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) celebrated the official opening night of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbour Totoro, which returned to the Barbican centre early this month for a strictly limited run.

The company celebrated at the Barbican’s Conservatory, where they were joined by the creative team alongside VIP guests.

VIP guests included Adeel Akhtar, Charlie Brooker, Emma Dabiri, Ed Gamble, Blake Harrison, Konnie Huq, Jessie Mei Lee, Iwan Rheon, Cherrelle Skeete, Nina Sosanya, Samantha Spiro, Rakhee Thakrar, Kara Tointon and Jason Watkins.

The creative team includes Tom Morton-Smith (Book), Improbable’s Phelim McDermott (Director) Tom Pye (Designer), Kimie Nakano (Costume Designer), Jessica Hung Han Yun (Lighting Designer), You-Ri Yamanaka (Movement Director), Basil Twist (Puppetry Designer and Director), Mervyn Millar (Puppetry Associate), Will Stuart (Orchestrator), Tony Gayle (Sound Designer), Finn Ross and Andrea Scott (Video Designers) and Associate Director Ailin Conant.

The global stage premiere of Hayao Miyazaki’s celebrated 1988 animated feature film, was first announced in April 2022 and broke the Barbican’s Box Office record for most tickets sold in a single day.

The production first opened at the Barbican in October last year, where it received both critical and audience acclaim, winning five WhatsOnStage Awards and six Olivier Awards, the most for any production this year.  

My Neighbour Totoro plays at the Barbican until Saturday 23 March 2024.