Alice Pung’s award-winning novel 'Laurinda' finally hits the stage and it’s safe to say that this performance holds its ground.
Opening night saw a packed theatre, with excitement buzzing for a fresh new story and performance being brought to Melbourne’s world-renowned theatre industry. After being labelled Mean Girls from an Australian perspective, the hype behind Laurinda was bubbling.
Laurinda tells the story of a fifteen-year-old girl named Lucy who earns a scholarship to one of Melbourne’s most prestigious schools, Laurinda. It’s at this school that we see the typical clique-type drama that is no secret to the regular high schooler. However, Lucy is a second-generation Australian from Vietnam, feeling the pressures of being a statistic for diversity at the school, whilst also fighting off pressures and racism from the other students.
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Laurinda tackles societal issues such as class, wealth and racism with a comedic aftershock. Its characters insist to help Lucy because of her background, not out of support, but out of ego. Yet the adaption manages to portray a type of conscious comedy, that in between the punch lines, reminds the audience that this is all very true in our current day and age.
“It’s such a touching story and I feel so extremely lucky to share this interpretation on stage,” Gemma Chua-Tran, the dual-role lead says. “Knowing that it was a show about the Vietnamese Australian experience with an all-Asian cast definitely drew me towards this role.”
The all-star cast provides a captivating performance and atmosphere that never falls flat. From certain cast members impressively playing dual roles, to the chemistry on stage that hits with every line of dialogue, you can see the cast clearly care about the performance.
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From the witty writing between the characters, to the set design and its smooth setting transitions, Laurinda successfully captures that ‘fly on the wall’ feeling for the audience. It exports a raw insight into a perspective of second-generation Australians, which still isn’t generally publicised on Australian stages.
Laurinda is a prime example of a production that knows how to challenge Australia’s underlying casual racism, while also displaying the vulnerability of self-worth and standing up for your morals. Between the cast’s chemistry on stage and the play’s overall adaption, it’s safe to say that this performance is a highlight of Vietnamese/Australian theatre – one that may be loved for years to come.
Catch Melbourne Theatre Company’s production of Laurinda at the Southbank Theatre until September 10.
