My Neighbour Totoro - Barbican / Coliseum / Gillian Lynne

And the rest of Studio Ghibli...

Copied today's performance page and tried refreshing it after 9:50 but the tickets appeared at 10:00 so looks like the Barbican has closed off that loophole. Tickets went quickly so I'd still get the url and keep refreshing it as the time goes 10:00

Sorry to hear that - the tickets go incredibly quickly regardless. It’s a hugely popular show - I’ll give it a go myself in due course. Sorry it didn’t work out for you.

It’s a year later than I would have liked, but I finally saw this tonight. I like Ghibli, but never quite got the film’s popularity. But I thought this was just wonderful. Had a big grin on my face from the opening title sequence on. I think it helped that they added a lot more humour. I did feel like it drags a little in act 2 even though it’s much shorter than the first (like do the villagers really need to enter soooo slooooowly?)

Caught me off guard a little as I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did.

Also nice to get a chance to visit the Barbican again, having only been there the once for Anything Goes. I wish more things would go in there, it’s much nicer than anywhere else in the West End.

My favourite bits were direct movie recreations - they did the Catbus so well, and Totoro’s reveal, and the umbrella moment. Just grinned from ear to ear. I’ll be back to see the revival in the new year. Lovely piece of theatre.

Matinee yesterday, many many children. Just after 2pm start (little late as seat error 2nd row, two lots of people with same tickets). First 5 minutes I was all - wtf - and then got swept up in the charm, little Mei is superb, the puppetry, the sweet story ... I went in knowing just a teeny tiny bit of what to expect and was absolutely charmed by it. Children were quiet for the most part, little lad singing To-To-Roooo on leaving filled my heart.

I hated this when the puppets weren’t on stage. Totoro was impressive. Two kids wandering around yapping, I could understand if there was something about the set or music to offset them but there wasn’t. It was an ordeal!

Return visit to this last night having seen it in the first run. Slight worry as we weren't let in at first 'due to technical difficulties' but it went ahead after a ten minute delay. It was just as magical as we remembered, and the extra person who had joined us this time just loved it. The pacing is so right to get the feel of the movie and also has the ability to grip children in the way that some slow things do (and many of us will have had the experience of small children wanting to watch stuff endlessly on repeat). I particularly love the rapt attention of the whole audience when the 'mild peril' is introduced in the second half. And the music is just lush - and played and sung so beautifully. Definitely five stars from me. Clearly the merchandise is a huge hit too (luckily not my thing as it was very expensive). All three of the selling points were very crowded and lots of people had bags, plushies etc.

I'm not sure - there were a family (Mum, Dad, 2 little ones) in the four seats, 2nd row centre.  Two young Japanese women came in about 10 mins before lights down, Dad started to argue with the Barbican staff - they asked him/his family to come out into the lobby with the two young women to sort it out and he refused, saying loudly "I told the Barbican this would happen".  He refused to move - Barbican staff took the two young women away.  Never fully understood - 4 seats = 4 people in them v 2 women -?- 

I went to see Harry Connick Jr at the Royal Albert Hall once, 5th row centre - the entire 4th row centre had been sold twice.  First bums on seats stayed, the second comers were found alternative seats around the auditorium.
I went to see Donny Osmond at Hammersmith Apollo on Thursday - Couple front row centre had made themselves comfy for about 30 mins when two women arrived with tickets for the same seats literally a minute before lights down.  Woman stayed in her seat while man went with the two recently arrived women to the box office to sort (he'd made a big show of searching their bags and coats and pockets for tickets).  Took almost 15 mins to sort before the woman was ushered out of her seat with all their bags and coats, and the two latecomers finally took their seats.
Is why I'm always early!

Donny Osmond again, on Thursday - man and woman wandering around the front stalls trying to find their seats.  Staff member came over, took a look, pointed to the Circle seats ...  the woman looked crushed.  "you're front row, love".... Yes, front row 'up there' .... 

Just got back from this evening's performance and in all honesty, it wasn't for me. I went in blind, just on the strength of good reviews, but what I saw was largely childish, with ridiculously over exaggerated performances and the awkwardness of seeing an actress in her 30's playing a 4 year old (Even if it was too much for a child actor, couldn't they have got someone a bit younger to play the role).

On the positive side, the music and singing was nice (the singer this evening could definitely sing), the actress playing the older sister was quite good and the second act was less excrutiating, but it semeed to be over before it had really started.

So probably a 2 1/2 or maybe 3 if I'm feeling really generous from me.

I think I’m just in the real minority here thinking there’s absolutely no need for this to be any longer than 80 minutes with no interval.