Photo/Illutration Actress Mone Kamishiraishi plays the protagonist Chihiro in the stage play adaptation of “Spirited Away.” (Provided by Toho Co.’s theatrical division)

A stage play adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning anime film "Spirited Away" will be presented in Britain for a limited run from April through July 2024, producer Toho Co. has announced.

Actresses Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi will both reprise their role as Chihiro, the protagonist they played when the original production premiered in Japan in 2022.

It is rare for a theatrical play produced in Japan to be presented in Japanese outside the country for a stretch of three months, the company said.

Adapted and directed by John Caird, who is known for his adaptation of the original "Les Miserables" musical, "Spirited Away" was staged in Tokyo and four other cities.

Large and small puppets were used for anime characters, manipulated with dexterity.

The play garnered much attention and tickets were sold out for all shows.

In Japan, it will be revived at a theater in Nagoya in August before returning to Tokyo and four other cities between March and June next year.

In Britain, the play will be jointly produced with London-based PW Productions Ltd.

It will open at the London Coliseum, one of the largest theaters in the capital's West End district, which has about 2,300 seats.

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Actress Kanna Hashimoto plays the protagonist Chihiro in the stage play adaptation of “Spirited Away.” (Provided by Toho Co.’s theatrical division)

"The original play was met with critical acclaim, all thanks to efforts made by John, cast members and others involved with the production. I'd like to pay my deep respects to them," Studio Ghibli Inc. producer Toshio Suzuki said in a comment. "I'm very much looking forward to seeing how 'Spirited Away' will be received in a hub of theaters."

In Britain, the Royal Shakespeare Co. produced a stage play adaptation of "My Neighbor Totoro," another Miyazaki masterpiece, in fall last year jointly with Nippon Television Network Corp.

The show won six awards, including best director, at the Olivier Awards, the most prestigious accolade in British theater, earlier this year.

The play will be revived in the country for a limited run from November to March 2024.

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