Major stage adaptation of ‘Spirited Away’ opens in Britain in 2024

A theatrical adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki’s animated film “Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi” (“Spirited Away”) will be staged in London from April to July next year, production company Toho Co. said.

Toho added that it will be one of the largest performances of a Japanese-language play with a Japanese cast outside Japan.

‘Spirited Away’ tells the story of Chihiro, a girl who wanders into a strange world where she struggles hard to return to the human world by working in a bathhouse run by a witch.

The stage production premiered in 2022 and was adapted and directed by British director John Caird. Kanna Hashimoto, 24, and Mone Kamishiraishi, 25, played against Chihiro on alternate dates. Caird was highly praised for the production, which also made extensive use of puppets and a stage turntable.

According to Toho, the production’s good reviews in Japan led to many questions from abroad about possible stagings in other countries. Toho entered into negotiations with a British production company, which was particularly keen to stage the play in Britain, and they agreed to co-produce the show.

The performances will take place at the London Coliseum, one of the West End’s largest theatres, seating around 2,300 people. Hashimoto and Kamishiraishi will continue to play the role of Chihiro in Japanese. Surtitles will be provided in English.