Laurinda 

MTC-presents-Laurinda-photo-by-Brett-WalkerAlice Pung’s award-winning novel Laurinda comes to Melbourne Theatre Company’s stage, premiering at the Southbank Theatre on Thursday 11 August 2022.

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.

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.

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).

“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,” said Writer Diana Nguyen.

“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,” said Nguyen.

“It has been such a joy working on this play with Diana. Alice’s novel is so rich and reimagining this story for a whole new generation feels really exciting,” said Director and writer Petra Kalive.

I can’t wait for audiences to see the incredible ensemble of actors that we have gathered. Seven actors, playing 18 roles speaking Vietnamese and English. This is a multi-lingual adult coming of age story – Lucy has a lot to learn from her 15-year-old self when we meet her at 35.”

Director: Petra Kalive | Featuring: Fiona Choi, Gemma Chua-Tran, Georgina Naidu, Chi Nguyen, Ngoc Phan, Roy Phung, Jenny Zhou | Set Designer & AV Composition: Eugyeene Teh | Costume Designer: Karine Larché | Lighting Designer: Rachel Lee | Composer & Sound Designer: Marco Cher-Gibard | AV Designer:  Justin Gardam | Movement Director: Xanthe Beesley | Assistant Director & AV Composition: Roshelle Fong


Laurinda 
Southbank Theatre – The Sumner, Southbank Boulevard, Southbank
Season: 10 August – 10 September 2022
Information and Bookings: www.mtc.com.au

Image: MTC presents Laurinda – photo by Brett Walker