The stunning stage production of the Oscar-winning Studio Ghibli movie, Spirited Away, ended its run in Tokyo and Osaka last summer, and we’ve been left eagerly waiting to find out where Chihiro and Haku venture next. Now, their next stop has been revealed as London, with the show arriving on UK shores in 2024.
The play — which is set to have its European premiere at the London Coliseum next year — has been lauded for recreating the same magical level of details in its sets, costuming, makeup and props (including a jaw-dropping replica of the white dragon Haku) that the beautiful hand-drawn Studio Ghibli movies are renowned for. The team behind it is stacked: it’s directed by John Caird, the man who did directed Les Misérables back in the late 1980s during their first runs in New York and London. Puppet maker and director Toby Olié is responsible for Haku’s white dragon puppet, having previously worked at the National Theatre and Royal Opera House. Meanwhile, Joe Hisaishi is bringing his classic score back to the big stage in London.
The play also follows the same wholesome story as the movie: a 10-year-old girl Chihiro moves to a new neighbourhood with her family and ends up falling into the spirit world of Japanese shinto folklore. When her parents are cursed by a witch and turned into pigs, the now orphaned Chihiro goes on a quest, alongside ethereal creatures No-Face, Haku and the Radish spirit, to free her family and escape the magical realm.
US audiences already got their fix in movie theatres earlier this year, where two versions of the staged Japanese versions were released. The role of Chihiro was played by both Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi. The film’s antagonists, the sorceress Yubaba and her twin sister Zeniba were played in one version by Mari Natsuki, who assumed those roles in the original 2002 film, alongside Romi Park.
But the UK crowd will get the chance to see it in the flesh, starting in April next year. The show is set to run for a strict four-month run at the 2,350 capacity London Coliseum. Tickets aren’t on sale yet, but for information on early tickets, you can sign up to the official website here.
This article was originally posted in 2022 and has since been updated with new information.
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