The stage adaptation of "Spirited Away" premiered at the London Coliseum in the West End, one of the largest theaters in the area, on the 7th local time, following previews that began on April 30th. Comments have been received from Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi, who play Chihiro. Additionally, we introduce reactions from local audiences who watched the performance in Japanese by the Japanese cast.

"Spirited Away" is a stage adaptation of the highly successful animated film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. It was first adapted for the stage in 2022 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of Toho's founding. The story follows 10-year-old Chihiro, who finds herself in a world of gods and must work hard to save her parents, who have been turned into pigs.

After a re-staging at the Misonoza Theater in Nagoya in 2023, a national tour started in March 2024 at the Tokyo Imperial Theater, with scheduled performances at Misonoza in Nagoya, Hakataza in Fukuoka, Umeda Arts Theater Main Hall in Osaka, and the Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru. This parallel national tour marks the first overseas performance for the company, and is the largest-scale theatrical performance in the history of Japanese theater overseas, as well as a pioneering endeavor by Toho.

The London Coliseum, the venue for this performance, is one of the largest in the West End with about 2300 seats, and is also the home of the English National Opera. Its scale and history are comparable to that of the Imperial Theater in Japan, which opened in 1911 with about 1900 seats. The four-month run of 135 scheduled performances is expected to attract about 300,000 attendees.

At the premiere, Hashimoto performed in the 2 p.m. show, and Kamishiraishi in the 6 p.m. show. The London audience, familiar with the film’s story and characters, joyously reacted from the opening act as Chihiro stuck out her tongue in a scene reminiscent of the movie. The appearance of each puppet was warmly received, capturing the hearts of the audience. In the scene where the gods visit the bathhouse, lanterns lit up inside the Grand Circle, transforming the entire venue into a mysterious town, offering a unique spectacle for the London performance.

During the climax of the second act, when Chihiro recalls Haku's name and the scene with the giant dragon Haku, the audience was as captivated as in the movie. Both performances that day ended with immediate standing ovations, thunderous applause, cheers, and whistles. Post-performance, local staff interviewed audience members who praised the show, with comments such as "I cried. It was magical. Everything was wonderful. I'm about to cry again. It was amazing when Haku turned back from a dragon," and "Miyazaki, you are a genius. It was the first world I've ever seen. Being able to watch it in Japanese made it even better. I could really feel the essence of Japanese culture."

Regarding Hashimoto's performance, comments included "I felt her talent playing Chihiro. I want to see her perform again. The scene where Yubaba grows larger was scary." Kamishiraishi received comments such as "Perfect, cute, great acting!" and "She was just like the movie Chihiro!"

Mari Natsuki, who played Yubaba, also received high acclaim: "I can't believe it's the same person from the movie," "I just rewatched the movie two days ago, and it was just as moving," "The makeup was incredible," and "Yubaba looked just like my mother (laughs)."

Kanna Hashimoto (Chihiro) commented on her experience as a Japanese actress in the center stage of London's West End and receiving a standing ovation: "Today was the opening day, so there was great excitement about how it would be received. Even during the previews, the reaction was very different from our Japanese audience. There were laughs at various moments, and it was wonderful how much the London audience loves Ghibli. They watched while drinking alcohol and eating popcorn in a very relaxed viewing style. I was also happy to see children in the audience on Saturday. When I felt the frenzy of the curtain call, I truly thought it was incredible. Even though Japanese people don't often show it, I can feel their enjoyment. (In London) being warmly welcomed with such cheers was truly delightful."

Mone Kamishiraishi (Chihiro) also shared her feelings about receiving a standing ovation in London: "I was stunned by the unexpected fervor. I could feel how much the audience enjoyed it. At the end of the curtain call, when Chihiro said 'Thank you' on the microphone, I felt a real surge of emotion realizing that I am Japanese, and we had delivered this work in Japanese from Japan."

Edit By Taimu Tsuji
Source ORICON NEWS