My Neighbor Totoro Play Sweeps Olivier Awards

By Megan Peters

For decades, anime fans have loved My Neighbor Totoro, and now a new industry is embracing the tale thanks to The Royal Shakespeare Company. If you did not hear, Studio Ghibli's classic story was adapted for the stage which launched last year to high praise. And now, My Neighbor Totoro has been awarded a slew of Olivier Awards for its work.

The awards were held on Sunday in the United Kingdom, and it was there My Neighbor Totoro was up for nine awards. The show ended up winning six of its nine nominations, so you can read up on the results below:

WON:

  • Noël Coward Award for Best Entertainment or Comedy Play
  • Sir Peter Hall Award for Best Director – Phelim McDermott
  • Best Costume Design – Kimie Nakano
  • d&b audiotechnik Award for Best Sound Design – Tony Gayle
  • Blue-I Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design – Tom Pye
  • White Light Award for Best Lighting Design – Jessica Hung Han Yun

NOMINATED:

Related:

  • Gillian Lynne Award for Best Theatre Choreographer – Basil Twist (puppetry direction)
  • Best Original Score or New Orchestrations – Joe Hisaishi (music) and Will Stuart (orchestrations, arrangements)
  • Best Actress – Mei Mac

For those who did not keep up with this stage production, you should know The Royal Shakespeare Company brought the production to life in October 2022. My Neighbor Totoro was created in part with Joe Hisaishi, the longtime composer of director Hayao Miyazaki's films. Phelim McDermott directed the stage production while Tom Morton-Smith adapted the story. And when tickets went on sale, My Neighbor Totoro broke sale records left and right.

Now, My Neighbor Totoro has been awarded for its success, and the Olivier Awards could not have come at a better time. After all, new reports have confirmed the stage play is getting a rerun in London. The Royal Shakespeare Company will kick off new show dates at the end of this year due to high demand. So if you missed My Neighbor Totoro the first time around, your second chance is coming! At this time, no word has been given on whether My Neighbor Totoro will hit stages in the United States, but fans would love nothing more than to see Studio Ghibli on Broadway. So for now, theatre buffs should keep their fingers crossed!

Do you plan on checking out this stage production when it returns to London? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

Trending Now: