Melbourne Theatre Firm Presents LAURINDA in August

Alice Pung’s award-winning novel Laurinda involves Melbourne Theatre Firm’s stage, premiering on Thursday 11 August at Southbank Theatre.

Tailored by author and comic Diana Nguyen (Phi and Me) and director Petra Kalive (The Lifespan of a Reality), this MTC NEXT STAGE fee is an incisive, witty comedy a few lady caught between cultures and sophistication.

That includes an distinctive ensemble forged, this recent new work stars Fiona Choi (The Household Legislation), Gemma Chua-Tran (ABC’s Mustangs FC), Georgina Naidu (Minnie & Liraz), Chi Nguyen (The Wilds), Ngoc Phan (Boy Swallows Universe), Roy Phung (Jasper Jones) and Jenny Zhou (Lady, Interpreted).

Author Diana Nguyen stated of adapting the novel for stage, ‘I’m excited to convey Alice Pung’s novel Laurinda to the mainstage in Melbourne. In 2008, I wrote my brief story “5 Methods to Disappoint Your Vietnamese Mom” in Alice’s anthology Rising Up Asian in Australia, and it seems like a full-circle second in 2022 to have tailored her ebook Laurinda in collaboration with Petra Kalive.

‘The time is now to listen to laughter, to really feel the trials of this story, and to expertise the enjoyment of Lucy Lam, a Vietnamese Australian teenager rising up in Melbourne, Australia.’

Director and author Petra Kalive stated, ‘It has been such a pleasure engaged on this play with Diana. Alice’s novel is so wealthy and reimagining this story for a complete new era feels actually thrilling.

‘I can not watch for audiences to see the unimaginable ensemble of actors that we’ve gathered. Seven actors, enjoying 18 roles talking Vietnamese and English. It is a multi-lingual grownup coming of age story – Lucy has rather a lot to study from her 15-year-old self once we meet her at 35.’

Concerning the Play: When 15-year-old Lucy Lam wins the inaugural Equal Entry Scholarship to a prestigious non-public college, the good and well-liked scholar is just not ready for the brand new world she’s instantly propelled into. It is a world of wealth and alternative, overseen by The Cupboard – a trio of women who wield energy over their classmates, and even their academics. However when The Cupboard flip their consideration to Lucy she has to choose: slot in and succeed, or keep true to herself. Both approach, there is a value.

Petra Kalive is Affiliate Director at Melbourne Theatre Firm and has beforehand directed Touching the Void, The Lifespan of a Reality, Sexual Misconduct of the Center Courses, Hungry Ghosts and Melbourne Talam (Inexperienced Room Award-nominated Finest Director) for the Firm, in addition to Pandora for MTC NOW. She has additionally labored for Sydney Theatre Firm, Enviornment Theatre Firm, Full Works Theatre Firm, St Martins Youth Arts Centre, Monash College Centre for Theatre and Efficiency, La Trobe Performing Arts Division and the Victorian School of the Arts. Impartial directorial credit embody: Taxithi (fortyfivedownstairs – Inexperienced Room Award-nominated Finest Director); Oil Infants, which she additionally wrote (Lab Kelpie – shortlisted for the NSW Premier Literary Awards); and My Sensible Profession, a musical adaptation by Dean Bryant and Matthew Frank of the Miles Franklin novel (Monash College). Petra was Creative Director of Union Home Theatre from 2014 – 2019.

Since graduating Monash College majoring in Drama and Theatres in 2005, Diana Nguyen’s profession has advanced into that of being an actor, author, comic and producer, and in 2021 she was awarded the General High 40 Below 40 Asian Australian Management Award. Her writing credit embody her comedy standup reveals, ‘5 Methods to Disappoint Your Vietnamese Mom’ within the anthology Rising Up Asian in Australia edited by Alice Pung, and the award-winning net collection Phi and Me, which gained a Finest Worldwide Narrative accolade at New Zealand Internet Fest. Subsequent to this, the upcoming TV collection Phi and Me (Northern Footage) is presently in growth with Display Australia. Diana has additionally appeared on Q+A (ABC), The Mission (Community 10) and featured in performing roles embody the award-winning function of Kim Huong in Phi and Me (Sicily Internet Fest); Tunnel Rat (Malthouse Theatre); Viet Kieu (Melbourne Fringe); Methods to Keep Married (Community 10) and extra. Diana is obsessed with improvisation and participates with the Melbourne ensemble firms the Humour Basis and Melbourne Playback Theatre Firm. You may hearken to Diana on a comedy interview podcast The SnortCast.