Spirited Away: Live on Stage

This recording is the film version of John Caird's stage adaptation of Spirited Away. It was shot during the production's 2022 run at the Imperial Theatre in Tokyo. Two performers alternated in the role of Chihiro, and both appear in this recording. The real question for the adaptation was how the transformations of the animation would be met on stage. The answer was found in puppetry: Yubaba, No-Face and the dragon are operated by visible puppeteers. Leaving the mechanism unconcealed makes scenes known from the film produce a completely different effect. John Caird has a long career in theatre and commands the stage language. The music is adapted from Joe Hisaishi's film scores. It is long, and as a theatre recording the camera observes the stage rather than interpreting it. Who it's for: Studio Ghibli followers and those curious about stage adaptation. Who it's not for: anyone wanting to watch the film again; this is an entirely different work and does not use the animation's visual language.