The play “Spirited Away” will also tour Japan, reaching cities like Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Nagoya.
Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar winner, “Spirited Away”, is receiving theatrical treatment, courtesy of Toho Co., Ltd and award-winning theater director John Caird (“Les Misérables”, “Nicholas Nickleby”, “Daddy Long Legs”) . The play is planning a world premiere between February and March 2022 in Tokyo, followed by a tour of Japan in cities like Osaka (April 2022), Fukuoka (May 2022), Sapporo (June 2022) and Nagoya (June and July) . Caird is also known for being the Honorary Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
“Spirited Away” is often considered one of Miyazaki’s best films and, until last year, was the highest grossing film in Japan. The story centers on Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl who moves with her parents to her new House. The family is lost in a mysterious world of fantastic spirits, ruled by the witch Yubaba, who turns Chihiro’s parents into pigs. After a series of bizarre and dangerous challenges, including the loss of his identity, Chihiro must use all his intelligence to survive in this strange place and return to the human world.
The next play “Spirited Away” launched two actresses like Chihiro, Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi. The play will mark Kanna’s debut on stage, while Mone is a big star in Japan and recently gained attention for his voice role in the blockbuster anime film “Your Name”.
“I feel very excited and privileged to be working on the first stage adaptation of ‘Spirited Away’,” said director Caird in a statement. “For many years I have considered Hayao Miyazaki one of the prominent geniuses in world cinema and the greatest defender of the anime form.”
Caird continued: “I share a belief in all the most dominant themes in Miyazaki’s work, themes that are at the heart of the world ‘Spirited Away’ – care for the environment, reverence for nature, a belief in the strength of good spirits within us, and the empowerment of young women and men to change the world for the better. “
Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki added in a statement: “We, Hayao and I like John’s vision. He is a person we can trust. I look forward to seeing Chihiro grow up on the stage under his direction. I could tell how much he loves this story by his delighted face when I gave him a Faceless piggy bank (Kaonashi). “
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