My Neighbour Totoro - Barbican / Coliseum / Gillian Lynne

[Dave B]

15 weeks from October

www.rsc.org.uk/my-neighbour-totoro

[NeilVHughes]

No Shakespeare over the festive period in either Stratford or London.

We can safely assume that HVI II&III and RIII will not be making their way to London as MNT takes the usual transfer slot.

[Someone in a tree]

When will they ditch the S from their name ?

[ceebee]

Apr 27, 2022 7:52:03 GMT Someone in a tree said:

When will they ditch the S from their name ?

The Arsey. Nice moniker.

[Jan]

In what sense is  My Neighbour Totoro an RSC show ? Is there any creative associated with it who has worked with the RSC before ? It just looks like the RSC stumping up some money and their pre-booked Barbican slot to be a co-producer. You won't notice from the RSC marketing but Improbable are also jointly associated with this and it looks far more like their type of show to me. Nippon TV involved too so obviously a Japanese transfer is the aim. 

Anyway, what is this iconic film. I've never heard of it. Has anyone ? 

[samuelwhiskers]

Apr 27, 2022 9:27:33 GMT Jan said:

Anyway, what is this iconic film. I've never heard of it. Has anyone ? 

Yes, it’s one of the most famous and beloved Japanese films of all time.

You personally may not have heard of it but it is a very famous and iconic film. My entire Twitter feed is people talking about how excited they are.

[juicy_but_terribly_drab]

Apr 27, 2022 9:27:33 GMT Jan said:

In what sense is  My Neighbour Totoro an RSC show ? Is there any creative associated with it who has worked with the RSC before ? It just looks like the RSC stumping up some money and their pre-booked Barbican slot to be a co-producer. You won't notice from the RSC marketing but Improbable are also jointly associated with this and it looks far more like their type of show to me. Nippon TV involved too so obviously a Japanese transfer is the aim. 

Anyway, what is this iconic film. I've never heard of it. Has anyone ? 

It's a Studio Ghibli film (they did Spirited Away among other great animated films). It's about a couple young girls whose mother is in the hospital so they and their father move to be closer to the hospital and the girls discover a bunch of spirits living in the forest nearby, one of which is Totoro. It's just this kind of small, slice-of-life film about I guess the magic and adventure of childhood (there's a lot of culturally specific stuff in play in regards to the spirits and whatnot) in conflict with the more mature stuff kids come up against like the fear of losing your parent. But it's very slight so not sure how well it will adapt to the stage, I imagine they'll try to give it more of a straightforward plot but I don't think it will hold up very well under the added weight, its slightness is part of its charm.

[Dave B]

Apr 27, 2022 9:27:33 GMT Jan said:

Anyway, what is this iconic film. I've never heard of it. Has anyone ? 

Yup. One of the most famous Japanese movies of all time. Often highly ranked by various World Cinema *and* all time greatest movies lists. Comes from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki who have won dozens and dozens of major awards over the past four decade, it must be now, including at least a couple of Oscars.

It is by no means something small or obscure and would very much fall under iconic!!

[Jan]

Apr 27, 2022 9:44:52 GMT Dave B said:

Apr 27, 2022 9:27:33 GMT Jan said:

Anyway, what is this iconic film. I've never heard of it. Has anyone ? 

Yup. One of the most famous Japanese movies of all time. Often highly ranked by various World Cinema *and* all time greatest movies lists. Comes from Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki who have won dozens and dozens of major awards over the past four decade, it must be now, including at least a couple of Oscars.

It is by no means something small or obscure and would very much fall under iconic!!

Interesting. It’s a 1980s thing ? I asked a couple of children and they hadn’t heard of it either. Nevertheless I predict death at the box office for this one. It reminds me of the Terry Hands “Carrie” fiasco.

[Dave B]

Apr 27, 2022 9:54:25 GMT Jan said:

Nevertheless I predict death at the box office for this one. It reminds me of the Terry Hands “Carrie” fiasco.

Heh, I'll go the opposite. Judging from the interest levels from non theatre friends who are all over Twitter about this right now. I can see this selling really well.

[lynette]

Japanese culture having a bit of a thing. Last time it happened it inspired an entire art movement, the Impressionists.

[catcat100]

It was mentioned on Radio 6 news this morning where theatre never really gets a mention. Will be a big London audience there.

I'm looking forward to this one and should be a good xmas alternative to the usual xmas carols showing everywhere else.

[jek]

My children, now all in their 20s, grew up watching the Ghibli movies. They are huge among a section of the population who loves anime, cosplay etc. I've seen some of the Ghibli movies in more recent screenings at my local (Stratford East) Picturehouse. They are always busy. I guess mine isn't the only house where there is genuine excitement at this arriving at the Barbican. And it is such a lovely theatre to visit too (we were most recently there on Saturday night for the William Kentridge Sybil). As a Barbican member I will be in the booking queue on May 13th.

[Jon]

Not sure why people are questioning the RSC putting a non Shakespeare play considering they’ve been doing it for decades and some of their biggest successes have been the likes of Matilda, Nicholas Nickleby, Wolf Hall to name but three

As someone who loved the film, a stage adaptation is an exciting prospect.

[thistimetomorrow]

I'm very excited for this (in my 20s) and I can't wait to see how they'll adapt it for the stage!

[samuelwhiskers]

I think the lack of Shakespeare (and especially the decision not to transfer the Henries) is appalling but unless they’d have to almightily screw this up not to make it a huge hit.

[Jon]

There does seem to be a generational gap in regards to the announcement, some people are very excited like myself while others who think the RSC should just be Shakespeare and his contemporaries are frowning at the prospect.

[oxfordsimon]

I genuinely want this to be a commercial success and to generate income for the RSC over a number of years.

Otherwise it is using public money to create a stage show based on a piece that is owned by major corporations who could easily have funded it all by themselves.

Given that distribution rights are largely held by Disney, it is not as if they are without experience in turning cartoons into stage shows.

Reading the plot on Wikipedia, I share the concerns that others have as to how so slight a piece will translate to the stage. It does not have much of narrative. Perhaps it will run for 90 minutes with no interval. We shall have to wait and see on that one.

Will also be interested to see how it is cast.

[oxfordsimon]

Apr 27, 2022 10:51:29 GMT Jon said:

There does seem to be a generational gap in regards to the announcement, some people are very excited like myself while others who think the RSC should just be Shakespeare and his contemporaries are frowning at the prospect.

I don't see a problem in doing non Shakespearean work at the RSC. But I do see a problem in a season with NO Shakespeare at all.

[lichtie]

Apr 27, 2022 9:27:33 GMT Jan said:

In what sense is  My Neighbour Totoro an RSC show ? Is there any creative associated with it who has worked with the RSC before ?

Yes, Tom Morton Smith who has had his career at least in part developed under Whyman's wing at the RSC (Oppenheimer in the Swan and then Earthworks in the Other Place). 

I do wonder if this was originally intended as a Swan production before transferring to London, which they've just switched to London given the potential interest and the delays in getting the Swan reopened due to the ongoing building repairs.

[oxfordsimon]

The Swan and the Barbican are very different spaces. As anyone who saw the Faustus that transferred from the Swan can attest.

Creating this piece for the Barbican makes it seem very unlikely that it will ever go near Stratford.

I guess they are hoping it will be a Les Mis type transfer.

[Jan]

Apr 27, 2022 10:03:46 GMT Dave B said:

Apr 27, 2022 9:54:25 GMT Jan said:

Nevertheless I predict death at the box office for this one. It reminds me of the Terry Hands “Carrie” fiasco.

Heh, I'll go the opposite. Judging from the interest levels from non theatre friends who are all over Twitter about this right now. I can see this selling really well.

Let’s see. It’s running 15 weeks in a 2000 seat theatre which has only sold out for Anything Goes in the last decade. It is apparently a family show so it needs to appeal partly to people like me as I spend £100s a year on Xmas family shows - however I’ve never heard of this and neither have the children I’d take so we won’t be going. The association with Disney is not a guarantee of success - Pinocchio at NT demonstrates that.

[Jan]

Apr 27, 2022 10:51:29 GMT Jon said:

There does seem to be a generational gap in regards to the announcement, some people are very excited like myself while others who think the RSC should just be Shakespeare and his contemporaries are frowning at the prospect.

There aren’t any people who think the RSC should be just Shakespeare and his contemporaries.

[Jon]

I would point that Disney having the US film distribution rights to My Neighbour Totoro doesn't mean they would have stage rights, those would have been dealt with separately.

I do think we should wait until it's actually been performed before we can judge whether it will be a success or a flop. 

[Jan]

Apr 27, 2022 14:37:41 GMT Jon said:

I do think we should wait until it's actually been performed before we can judge whether it will be a success or a flop. 

That’s asymmetrical though. If I said I thought The Bridge “John Gabriel Borkman” was going to be a success (which I do) I doubt you would have commented in that way. It’s more fun this way - when it’s a giant hit you can all come on here and say “I told you so !”