Coming up….
Now being shown in London is Hayao Miyazaki’s critically acclaimed 2001 animated film’s stage adaptation from Japan.
The London Coliseum, the largest West End theater in London, will debut Spirited Away on April 30, 2024, for a 12-week run.
Director John Caird stated, “I am happy and delighted to offer the original Japanese stage version of Spirited Away at the Coliseum Theatre next year. We had a great time making the show in 2022, and I’m thrilled to be transporting a British audience to Hayao Miyazaki’s fantastical world right now.
In Spirited Away, a young girl named Chihiro accidentally enters a world of Kami (shinto spirits), which is shown as a sort of bathhouse. She needs to find her parents in this new world because they were turned into pigs for devouring stuff that wasn’t theirs out of greed. Chihiro must convince the owner of the bathouse, Yubaba, to allow her to recover the items, and she must also prove her worth by working in the interim.
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In 2003, Spirited Away won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and instantly went viral around the world. Spirited Away earned $395 million and rose to the position of second-highest-grossing Japanese picture globally, establishing Studio Ghibli, the country’s leading animation studio, as a household name.
Original Japanese production still and handout
In 2022, Toho Theatrical Department and Canadian director Caird turned the movie into an esteemed stage play.
Over the course of his 50-year career, the Olivier and Tony Award-winning Caird has helmed a number of well-known theatrical plays, including as The Seagull at the National Theatre (1994) and Macbeth at the Almeida (2005). Additionally, he has directed Japanese-language works before, such as a 2015 Tokyo premiere of a Twelfth Night adaption.
According to Toshio Suzuki, President of Studio Ghibli, “Hayao Miyazaki and I thought John Caird was the perfect director for the production the day we first met him; that was the beginning of this project.” John, the actors, and everyone else involved put in a lot of effort, which is why the premiere show earned such excellent praise.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing audiences in London enjoy Spirited Away.”
Chihiro will be portrayed by Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi in the original cast that travels to London. The performance will be performed in Japanese with captions in English. The live orchestra will perform original Joe Hisaishi compositions that Brad Haak (Mary Poppins, Lestat, and other works for Disney) has specifically orchestrated.
Original Japanese production still and handout
The ability to perform the act in Japanese, like we did in Japan, is a huge honor, according to Kamishiraishi. “I am excited to see how the show, which Japanese audiences enjoyed so much, will reach audiences in London, and I feel very happy and honored,” the performer said.
The production crew comprises costume designer Sachiko Nakahara, choreographer Shigehiro Ide (creator of IDEVIAN Crew), and set designer Jon Bausor (Bat Out of Hell, The Seagull). Toby Olié (101 Dalmatians) will create puppets once more.
My Neighbor Totoro, a Studio Ghibli film, was adapted by the Royal Shakespeare Company and debuted at the Barbican last year. Demand for the tickets was so great when they first went on sale that it surpassed the venue’s record for sales in a single day. The adaption was generally acclaimed as a triumph and will make a second appearance at the Barbican in November.
The show, according to the Standard’s review at the time, “could use more jeopardy, more darkness, and more of the monsters.” This requirement might be satisfied by the award-winning animation Spirited Away from 2001, which has a significantly darker and more intricate plot.
Where can I buy tickets?
Priority booking customers will get 48 hours to purchase tickets starting at 10 a.m. on September 5 before the general public. Here, you can register for priority reservations.
The London Coliseum will debut Spirited Away in April 2024; spiritedawayuk.com