Spirited Away in the West End – meet the show’s puppets

Recently WhatsOnStage paid a visit to the London Coliseum, where we were taken backstage by Toby Olié (puppetry designer and director) and Daisy Beattie (puppetry co-designer and supervisor) to meet some of the glorious puppets used in the original Japanese production of Spirited Away.

Take an exclusive behind-the-scenes look below:

Presented by TOHO Co Ltd and co-produced by PW Productions in the original Japanese (with English captions), Spirited Away is based on the Oscar-winning animated film by Hayao Miyazaki. It is adapted for the stage by John Caird, co-adapted by Maoko Imai, and features the original score by Joe Hisaishi.

WhatsOnStage’s Sarah Crompton described the show as “captivating” and a “very loving tribute to a deservedly acclaimed film”.

Spirited Away tells the story of Chihiro as she travels to a new home with her family and stumbles into a fantasy world of spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba. When her parents are transformed into pigs, Chihiro must find a way to free them and escape back to the real world.

Check out our video from the show’s opening night at the London Coliseum:

Spirited Away runs through to 24 August 2024, with tickets on sale below.