Singaporean actress Victoria Chen will make her Royal Shakespeare Company debut in the West End production of My Neighbour Totoro that's set to run from Mar 8 to Nov 2 at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London.

She will be playing the character Mei in this stage adaptation of the 1988 Studio Ghibli animated film. It is a tale of sisters Satsuki and Mei who move to a new home in the countryside where Mei stumbles upon mystical creatures as well as a forest guardian whom she names Totoro.

Chen will be joining the company as a new cast member following the play’s previous successful runs in 2022 and 2023. 

The actress announced her casting on Instagram on Wednesday (Jan 29) and said: “In case my mother hasn’t told you yet, her daughter finally got a job. HUAT AH!”

In a video on the play’s official Instagram, Chen shared: “It’s an absolute dream come true. To be working alongside people like this and bringing the story to life every single day, or twice a day.”

A School of the Arts (SOTA) alumnus, Chen has appeared in plays like The Night Before Christmas and The Chronicles Of Atom And Luna and has worked in Singapore, the United Kingdom, China and Australia.