Queensland Theatre will present a spellbinding story of two Vietnam War refugees facing an uphill battle adapting to American culture, in the Australian premiere of Vietgone at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) this November.
Directed by award-winning writer and director, Daniel Evans and renowned actor and playwright, Ngoc Phan, the production will bring audiences on an irreverent journey of romance and struggle through the heartland of America.
After its roaring success at the Manhattan Theatre Club, Writer Qui Nguyen is bringing the long anticipated, Vietgone, to life in Australia to walk the line between humour and sentiment.
Vietgone is inspired by the lives of Qui Nguyen’s parents and their immigration journey, written as a letter from Qui to his younger self to share the love story of his parents, helicopter pilot Quang and strong-willed Tong after narrowly escaping the end of the war.
“Vietgone is ultimately an adventure for the audience while taking them through the experiences so many families battle in their fight for freedom, and it’s a perspective I’m so proud to deliver. It really is an honour to share this complex, beautiful story,” said Phan.
“The performance is a really unique, fun way to bring a powerful story to our audience. The main characters will often break into hip-hop when their emotions get overwhelming which really brings a light-heartedness and excitement to an otherwise serious play,” added Evans.
The cast features impressive talent Will Tran (Hawaa, The Heights) portraying Quang and Kristie Nguy (MIDNIGHT: The Cinderella Musical, Hello Again) portraying Tong, with supporting actors including co-director, Ngoc Phan (Boy Swallows Universe, Laurinda), Patrick Jhanur (Taming of the Shrew, Riot), Hieu Luong (Jasper Jones) and Aljin Abella (Aladdin, Frozen).
Cultural Safety Advisor Katrina Irawati Graham, Cultural Consultant Viet Tran and Hip-Hop Consultant Minh Nguyen are exciting additions to the team to assist the cast in delivering and maintaining the integrity, relevance, and the cultural conversations on and off the stage.
Queensland Theatre Artistic Director, Lee Lewis, is proud to present this universal story to Queensland. “The opportunity to bring a play of this calibre to Queensland is one of my great pleasures as an Artistic Director,” she said.
“This story speaks to loss, connection and love. These are feelings that can be felt fully by people throughout this state. I’m very excited to share this story with Queensland audiences, and for everyone to see the incredible work of the team behind Vietgone,” said Lewis.
“A raucous comedy…. that strafes just about every subject it tackles and every character it presents” – The New York Times
Vietgone
Playhouse – QPAC, Cultural Precinct, South Bank (Brisbane)
Season continues to 18 November 2023
Information and Bookings: www.queenslandtheatre.com.au
Image: Ngoc Phan – courtesy of Queensland Theatre