A Vietnamese Australian adaptation of ‘Laurinda’ is coming to the MTC
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23.06.2022

A Vietnamese Australian adaptation of ‘Laurinda’ is coming to the MTC

Laurinda

Alice Pung’s award-winning novel 'Laurinda' comes to Melbourne Theatre Company’s stage, premiering on Thursday August 11 at Southbank Theatre.

Adapted by writer and comedian Diana Nguyen (Phi and Me) and director Petra Kalive (The Lifespan of a Fact), this MTC NEXT STAGE commission is an incisive, witty comedy about a woman caught between cultures and class.

What you need to know

  • Adapted by Diana Nguyen and directed by Petra Kalive, Laurinda is the new play from MTC
  • It’s adapted from Alice Pung’s award winning novel of the same name
  • Laurinda will run from August 6 until September 10

Check out Melbourne’s latest stage shows and theatrical events here.

When 15-year-old Lucy Lam wins the inaugural Equal Access Scholarship to a prestigious private school, the smart and well-liked student is not prepared for the new world she’s suddenly propelled into. It’s a world of wealth and opportunity, overseen by The Cabinet – a trio of girls who wield power over their classmates, and even their teachers. But when The Cabinet turn their attention to Lucy she has to make a choice: fit in and succeed, or stay true to herself. Either way, there’s a cost.

Featuring an exceptional ensemble cast, this fresh new work stars Fiona Choi (The Family Law), 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 (Girl, Interpreted).

Writer Diana Nguyen said of adapting the novel for stage, “I am excited to bring Alice Pung’s novel Laurinda to the mainstage in Melbourne. In 2008, I wrote my short story “5 Ways to Disappoint Your Vietnamese Mother” in Alice’s anthology Growing Up Asian in Australia, and it feels like a full-circle moment in 2022 to have adapted her book Laurinda in collaboration with Petra Kalive.”

“The time is now to hear laughter, to feel the trials of this story, and to experience the joy of Lucy Lam, a Vietnamese Australian teenager growing up in Melbourne, Australia.”

Laurinda runs from August 6 until September 10. Tickets are on sale now, grab them by heading here