Unusual Rigging delivers expert rigging for Royal Shakespeare Company’s My Neighbour Totoro

26th June 2025

Unusual Rigging was the partner of choice for production manager Simon Bourne on the technically demanding My Neighbour Totoro, which is enjoying a successful run  at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre. Presented by Executive Producer Joe Hisaishi and the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), in collaboration with Nippon TV and Improbable, the critically acclaimed production pushes the boundaries of scenic design, large-scale puppetry and innovative staging.
 
Tasked with designing, manufacturing and installing the specialist engineering needed to transform the theatre’s existing infrastructure, Unusual decommissioned almost the entire house counterweight system to make way for a bespoke rigging solution. The extensive load-in operation was managed by a dedicated on-site team of 14 Unusual crew members, working six days a week over a four-week period, supported by the company’s full back-office operation spanning design, fabrication, the motor shop, warehouse logistics and project management. Further intermittent work was carried out across an additional two weeks to complete the install.
 
The scale of the project was significant. Close to 300 metres of ladder beam, 44 metres of truss and 150 metres of flying bars were installed, alongside 58 show hoists, 56 temporary build hoists, 32 table diverts and 32 grid drops. More than 1.5 kilometres of steel wire rope were used to hang the show, with 39 house counterweight cradles repurposed and 67 additional dead hangs installed. In total, over 20 tonnes of show equipment were suspended above the stage, creating a flexible, robust infrastructure that supported a range of scenic elements including title screens, iris headers and sliders, a giant ocarina, kabuki drops, night skies, landscapes, tree headers, forest swags, scenic band platforms and multiple LED and sound positions.
 
Dave Cleary, Unusual’s chief rigger on the project, said: "We installed nearly 500 metres of steelwork and flew over 20 tonnes of equipment to meet the demands of My Neighbour Totoro. It was a complex build that required absolute precision at every stage."
 
Simon Bourne added: "Working with Unusual Rigging on My Neighbour Totoro was a huge undertaking and one that required absolute precision, creative engineering, and total trust. The team delivered on every front – solving complex challenges with calm professionalism and ensuring the rigging fully supported the artistic ambition of the show. It was a fantastic experience working with a team that approached every challenge with such expertise, creativity and care."