My Neighbour Totoro, Gillian Lynne Theatre, July 2026

We were invited to review My Neighbour Totoro at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre. Our second time seeing the show, expectations were high as the first visit was just purrfect…

The plot follows sisters Mei and Satsuki Kusakabe as they adjust to life in rural Japan. With their sickly mother in hospital, the pair escape into a world of magical sprites, mischievous spirits, and protector of the forest Totoro.

Victoria Chen embodies Mei’s childlike wonder and innocence. Playing a four-year-old girl is no easy feat but Chen is perfectly cast, and her enthusiasm and excitement is infectious. Helen Chong as Satsuki nails the big sister role too; protective and caring yet sometimes irritated by Mei’s wild ways.

Father Tatsuo (Dai Tabuchi) is suitably paternal, and treads the line well between authority figure and doting dad. He also voices the titular Totoro with gusto. Mother Yasuko (Phyllis Ho) brings a melancholy to the show, as she yearns to see her daughters grow up. She remains positive, but our heart aches for the physical and emotional distance from her family.

Neighbour Kanta (Steven Nguyen) gets laughs from painfully awkward moments each time he sees the sisters. Jacqueline Tate’s Granny Ogaki is endearing and sweet, as she guides the girls as a surrogate mother figure.

The large ensemble works tirelessly to conjure a special kind of theatrical magic. As well as playing villagers and farmers, they animate many of the creatures and also treat the set as one big puppet, seamlessly moving elements to complement the action.

Tom Pye’s set design is a triumph. We’re transported to a sleepy Japanese village, and a central house that opens, revolves and transforms with ease. Forest scenes enchant, and a feline journey dazzles with moonlit rooftops and sparking pylons. The lush rural setting pays tribute to Kazuo Oga’s early Studio Ghibli paintings, and anime fans will feel right at home.

A live band accompanies the stunning score by Joe Hisaishi, from the opening theme to the rousing Cat Bus journey. Ai Ninomiya belts the title song beautifully as Kaze no Koe (Voice of the Wind), and you’ll be humming it all the way home. Incidental music underscores poignant moments or adds a playful air to creatures waddling across the stage. Rarely is there total silence, but there is real atmosphere.

Puppetry is first-rate throughout. Basil Twist’s designs include flitting soot sprites, manic chickens, a hungry goat and the illuminated Cat Bus and jaw-dropping Totoro. There are smaller iterations of Totoro too – Chu Totoro and Chibi Totoro – and they’re oh-so-cute!

Choreography is tight and, although we see the puppeteers, this is a directorial choice. Dressed in black with cloth masks, the style is inspired by Japanese Kabuki theatre, and only helps us appreciate the art and skill all the more.

Unlike Spirited Away – which returns to the London stage in 2028 – Totoro is told entirely in English. Audience members don’t need to have seen the 1988 film but all the iconic scenes and songs are here, and the production feels like a love letter to Hayao Miyazaki’s cult classic.

There are gasps and squeals of delight from this enraptured audience, and it clearly wins over all ages – not just children. Our 9-year-old was in his element and loved every minute…as did I. It’s funny, moving and truly a show that will stay with us.

Ultimately, this is a tale of hope, imagination and finding the wonder in a weary world. It’s also categorically one of the best things I’ve ever seen.

Totorally amazing.

My Neighbour Totoro closes on January 10th 2027, and gets our highest recommendation. Don’t snooze on this one, book at https://totoroshow.com/

Photos by Manuel Harlan

Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.

The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, Grand Opera House York, April 2025

After a harsh winter, we stepped out into the sun blinking and excited to see The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe at Grand Opera House…

For those new to the C.S. Lewis tale, the story follows four siblings evacuated to the countryside during World War 2. They discover a grand wardrobe and stumble upon the magical kingdom of Narnia. Locked in an eternal winter by the vengeful White Witch, it’s down to the children and a talking lion to lift the curse and save the land and it’s many unusual inhabitants.

Early on we’re reminded of the atrocities of war, with a sombre and haunting rendition of We’ll Meet Again. Actors manipulate glowing train carriages and suitcases, as families are packed off to safer surroundings.

The four children – Lucy, Edmund, Peter and Susan – are played by adult actors (Molly Francis, Bunmi Osadolor, Jesse Dunbar and Joanna Adaran) who capture the rivalry of bickering siblings well. Each makes the character their own, and has a believable story arc as they became the heroes of the piece. At this show Lucy was played by an understudy, but blended in perfectly and gave a stellar performance.

Aslan here is both human actor and stunning puppet, seemingly carved from intricate wood as a nod to the opulent wardrobe. Stanton Wright brings a true poignancy to the role, seamlessly switching between the majestic and godly lion to defeated wildcat. Expertly puppeteered, the wooden Aslan’s performance is anything but…well…wooden. Speaking of cats, raggedy fleabag ‘Schrodinger’ is another puppet, and scampers around the stage with plenty of purr-sonality.

Younger audience members may be unsettled by the wicked White Witch, played by Katy Stephens. We had seen this same production before, and it was interesting to see what was scaled back to fit the York space, with Jadis’ chariot noticeably absent. However, Stephens has such a deliciously dark grandeur that she commands the space well on foot. Wolf-like servant Maugrim (Shane Antony-Whitely) prowls the stage, ever-hunting the daughters of Eve and sons of Adam.

Father Christmas makes an appearance too, but is a far cry from the Coca-Cola red St. Nick. A whirling-dervish of tassels, Myra the Gift Giver delivers presents to aid the siblings on their quest. His song of the same name is perhaps the most catchy, and the one I was humming all the way home. The role shows real versatility too, with Father Christmas played by Kraig Thornber, who we first meet as the eccentric Professor, and later a musical owl.

Thornber is one of many talented actor-musicians who bring the rich score to life, and punctuate moments of drama with tribal beats. Many are dressed as stylised animals, and the pair of Beavers – who take a larger speaking role – add comic relief. Ed Thorpe and Anya De Villiers have a great dynamic together. Thorpe reminds us of actor Jim Cowick, and in particular his Ghosts role Pat.

Special mention to Mr Tumnus who first meets Lucy under the iconic lamppost, cleverly installed in a piano. Alfie Richards delivers his inner struggles to perfection, as he wrestles with obeying the Witch and letting Lucy go. He’s excels in the beautiful When There Was Spring

Tom Paris’ set and costume design is first-rate throughout. We’re transported from a bleak war-torn Britain to the icy expanse of Narnia in a blizzard of brilliance. There are many clever effects, from a flower blooming within a book to a trippy Turkish Delight sequence I won’t spoil! Illusions by Chris Fisher are well executed if sometimes a little overlooked, but only because they integrate so effectively into the story.

Jack Knowles lighting design is one of the best we’ve seen, with inventive use of darkness and spotlights to draw attention to where it was needed and hide scene changes. The stone table scene is a particular highlight, as are the transitions in and out the wardrobe.

This is a slick and polished production that succeeds in bringing the beloved novel to life. Inventive, engaging and full of theatrical magic, it’s a must if you’re a fan of the timeless tale. Simply ROARsome.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe runs until Saturday April 26th before continuing the UK tour. Book your tickets at https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe/grand-opera-house-york/

Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, Leeds Playhouse, November 2024

Review originally written for The Reviews Hub

Kicking off the festive season, we wandered through the wardrobe into the magical realm of Narnia, via the Quarry Theatre at Leeds Playhouse…

The show opens with a rousing rendition of We’ll Meet Again, a sobering reminder of the turmoil of Britain in the 1940s. We soon meet siblings Edmund (Bunmi Osadolor), Peter (Jesse Dunbar), Lucy (Kudzai Mangombe) and Susan (Joanna Adaran) who are sent off to the country as part of the wartime evacuee program. It’s in their new home that they meet an eccentric professor, and ultimately discover the portal to Narnia through an innocuous wardrobe in the spare room…

The four children are adult actors but capture childlike excitement and innocence well. The siblings are perhaps less distinct in personality than in the film and television versions – and none stand out especially above each other – but they work well as a family unit. Their relationships are believable, and the bickering relatable.

Alfie Richards plays Mr Tumnus, and has a genuinely caring and almost fatherly instinct towards Lucy. We feel his pain as he wrestles with his conscience under orders of the Witch. He excels with beautiful vocals in the bittersweet song When There Was Spring.

Mr and Mrs Beaver (Ed Thorpe and Anya De Villiers) help progress the plot and guide the children to Aslan. Thorpe’s Mr Beaver adds comic relief, especially when experiencing deep shame. De Villiers Mrs Beavers is the mumsy leader of the resistance, and the plays the role with a real feistiness.

Katy Richards as Jardis The White Witch gives a brr-illiant performance. No frosty reception here; she’s deliciously dark and will have younger audience members cowering at points. Her minions are the stuff of nightmares too, especially the wolf-like Maugrim who leaps around on hand-stilts. Shane Anthony-Whiteley plays the beast with real menace, and engages in some slick stage combat.

Santa appears briefly to gift useful tools to our young heroes-to-be, and is accompanied by cavorting reindeer. Nothing corporate or ‘Coca Cola’ here though, St Nick is presented tastefully whilst still being suitably jolly and rotund. Kraig Thornber shows versality in playing Santa, the Professor and the Wise Owl – and is likeable and endearing as each.

Aslan’s reveal is a long time coming but worth the wait. He prowls the stage with feline precision, and it’s easy to forget that we are watching a puppet – a testament to the puppetry team. His human counterpart (Stanton Wright) – in a majestic mane of a fur coat – didn’t have the rich tonal voice I expected. However, Wright’s more understated Aslan is refreshing, and he plays the lion with more heart than grandeur.

Chris Fisher is illusion consultant, and the effects are executed well. Theatrical magic should blend seamlessly with the action, and not come across as ‘tricks’, and the audience were suitably spellbound here, with audible gasps at one point. Jack Knowles’ lightning helps hide some of the trickery, and his design is striking and bold throughout. Transitional scenes such as passing through the wardrobe, train travel and changing seasons are all enhanced by Knowles’ artistry.

The design across all areas is second to none. There are many inventive moments; from a train sequence where luggage becomes carriages, to a trippy fever-dream with giant cubes of Turkish Delight. Costumes by Tom Paris are excellent too, whether the opulence of the Witch’s plush robes, or the subtle animal elements of the non-human roles.

Whilst the production features songs, think more folk music than musical theatre. A motley band plays everything live, and the audience hang on every note – led by Musical Director Ben Goddard. Levels are well balanced, and the talent on display is inspiring. Santa even plays the spoons!

C.S. Lewis’ iconic tale remains just as relevant and enchanting today, and this production is ideal as an alternative to the many pantomimes this festive season. Whilst not laugh-a-minute like a panto, our children (8 and 11) were gripped.

This production first opened in 2017 in Leeds, toured in 2021 and will tour again next year. Plenty of opportunities to open the wardrobe, push past the fur coats and experience the magic for yourself.

A ROARING triumph!

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe runs at Leeds Playhouse until January 25th. Book at www.leedsplayhouse.org.uk/event/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe-2/

Disclaimer: Tickets were kindly provided for this performance, however all opinions are honest and are our own.