'Spirited Away' on Stage: “Like Stepping Into the Film, a Performance That Feels Handcrafted” [Stage Review]

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[The Financial News] The musical play Spirited Away, a stage adaptation of the film of the same name by Japanese animation master Hayao Miyazaki, is enjoying a successful run, holding the No. 1 spot in reservations on Interpark Ticket as of the 19th.
On the 17th, the photo zone and official merchandise shop set up at the Opera House at Seoul Arts Center in Seocho District, Seoul, were packed with visitors, with a line so long it seemed endless. Despite being a 180-minute-long Japanese original tour production, the performance—described as feeling “like being pulled right into the film” and “imbued with a human touch”—drew thunderous applause and cheers from the audience. It was a moment that confirmed that the powerful intellectual property of Spirited Away, which earned director Miyazaki the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2003, remains just as potent on stage.
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This production was first brought to the stage in 2022 by Japanese production company Toho to mark its 90th anniversary. John Caird, the original director of the musical Les Misérables and a recipient of both the Tony Awards and the Laurence Olivier Award, directs the show. His Japanese wife, Maoko Imai, joined as co-adapter and associate director, firmly grounding the work in its cultural identity.
The play follows a teenage girl, Chihiro, who accidentally wanders into the forbidden “world of the gods” and, against the backdrop of a bathhouse, encounters countless beings and grows through those experiences. When it premiered in Japan, the production sold out every seat, and after winning the grand prize at the 47th Kazuo Kakuta Drama Award, it went on to London and Shanghai, building a global reputation. In Korea as well, about 30,000 seats sold out as soon as the first round of tickets opened, proving the high level of interest.
The stage version of Spirited Away is an experiential recreation that draws the audience into the film’s world as if they were walking right into it. Like the movie, the piece begins with the car ride as the family moves to the countryside. At this point, the actors use exaggerated physical movements to convey the bumpy texture of an unpaved road, pulling the audience into the story.
A revolving stage, intricate scene changes, and the organic fusion of actors and puppets blur the line between reality and fantasy without relying on video technology. No-Face, the faceless spirit, Kamaji the boiler-room master and the soot sprites that scuttle around his workplace, Yubaba’s gigantic baby Boh, and the trio of green-faced stone heads all appear not as characters confined to a screen, but as tangible beings moving vividly on stage.
The use of puppetry is particularly striking. More than 50 puppets are manipulated directly by the actors and play an integral role in the drama. Kamaji, with his six spider-like arms, is animated by several actors who each control part of his body. Depending on the scene, anywhere from one to as many as twelve actors perform No-Face together, embodying the magnitude of the character’s desires. The dragon puppet of Haku, over 4 meters long, is implanted with 4,000 strands of hair by hand, leaving a powerful visual impression.
The live orchestra, whose members only appear in view during the curtain call, functions throughout as a narrative device that drives the rhythm and emotion of each scene.
Director John Caird explained, “Music director Brad Haak preserved the emotional tone of the original while rearranging the score to suit the stage, heightening the dramatic intensity.”
Above all, the density of the actors’ performances elevates the work’s overall completeness. Mone Kamishiraishi and Rina Kawaei, who share the role of Chihiro, convincingly portray the fear and growth of a girl thrown into an unknown world, earning praise as being “Chihiro herself.” Mari Natsuki, who voiced the same role in the film, returns more than 20 years later to play Yubaba and Zeniba on stage, creating a special moment for audiences.
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The stage version of Spirited Away makes relatively little use of the cutting-edge video technologies that are now widely employed in theater. Instead, it highlights the strengths of analog stagecraft. Rather than foregrounding bold reinterpretations or radical variations, it focuses on faithfully rekindling the emotion of the classic animated masterpiece that audiences once encountered on the big screen. Actors and audience share the same time and space, experiencing together a world re-created in a language different from that of animation. This production delivers that shared moment of emotion with a high level of craftsmanship.
In a recent interview with Korean media, director Caird looked back on how the stage adaptation began, saying, “I was surprised that director Miyazaki agreed so readily,” and added, “When he asked how I was going to do it, I had a moment of panic, but at the same time I felt a surge of determination. To make a story filled with all kinds of creatures and magic feel real, we needed the imagination of both the actors and the audience.”
Mone, who plays Chihiro, said, “From Chihiro I learned to make instinctive decisions and to believe in myself,” adding, “I hope audiences go home feeling the love and preciousness contained in their own names.”
One drawback is that the entire front of the stage is used almost like a screen, which can make it somewhat difficult to read the subtitles. Those who have not yet seen the original film may find it more enjoyable to watch it in advance. The production runs through March 22.
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jashin@fnnews.com Shin Jin-a Reporter