Ms Nguyen, who has written her own shows including Dirty Diana, NAKED and is the co-creator and executive producer of the first-ever, Vietnamese-Australia comedy series Phi and Me, says it’s her mission to empower more Asian-Australians to share their personal stories and diverse perspectives.
Some traditional Asian parents encourage their children to focus on entering medicine, law or finance, leaving their kids torn between not wanting to disappoint their parents or following their dreams.
Ms Nguyen, who says her mother wanted her to be a doctor but she became an actor instead, says she hopes her latest project will inspire more Asian-Australians to believe they can be successful in the performing arts sector.
Ms Nguyen and theatre director Petra Kalive co-adapted acclaimed Chinese-Australian author Alice Pung’s young adult novel, Laurinda, and brought it to life in a stage play.
The story follows Lucy Lam, who wins a scholarship to a prestigious school and finds herself in a new world of class, privilege, and the power politics orchestrated by a trio of girls, The Cabinets, who rule the roost. They take an interest in Lucy, who is faced with the stark choice of either fitting in or staying true to herself.
The story follows Lucy Lam, who wins a scholarship to a prestigious school and finds herself facing the stark choice of either fitting in or staying true to herself. Source: Supplied / Jeff Busby
Ms Nguyen recalls she felt “triggered” when she read Ms Pung’s first novel Unpolished Gem. She adds they turned Laurinda into a memory piece because they wanted audiences to reflect on their own experiences growing up as the children of migrants.
She says: “Growing up in the 90s, there was a lot going on. There was racism and you had Pauline Hanson labelling us as ‘outsiders’.
All this was happening while we were undergoing identity transition and many of us just focused on trying to get through school.Diana Nguyen
“I came from an intense family home. My mum’s a single mum and I was an angsty teenager. For me, racism was subtle, but I knew something wasn’t right. Laurinda is a chance for us, now as adults, to reflect on something we remembered and the racism we experienced.”
‘People laughed, people cried’
Since the play started on 6 August at the Melbourne Theatre Company, Ms Nguyen described the audience response as “magical”. She says: “People have been tagging me on social media telling me what they thought of the play.
“I receive messages from Vietnamese-Australians who said ‘I see my mum on stage’ and saying the angsty Lucy Lam is carrying it on her own.
“People laughed, people cried and some felt uncomfortable because the play talks about class and racism. It makes us think about the past and present.”
I mean, Pauline Hanson is still in parliament, have we really changed?Diana Nguyen
Ms Nguyen adds the play is for audiences to reflect on their parents’ experiences in raising a family, wanting the best for their children while enduring the hardships of adapting to a culturally and linguistically different society.
She said: “Parts of Laurinda are spoken in Vietnamese and we deliberately didn’t translate it. My mother sat through the discomfort of language barrier and we want audiences to understand what that’s like.
“Language is beautiful because it hits the heart. Everyone feels pain, you can feel it in the room as the actors are telling you what’s happening. Vietnamese-Australians are saying ‘that’s how I feel’."
It’s a chance for us to say sorry for what we were like to our parents. It’s a very layered show, we don’t want people to answer questions but (for it) to leave a lasting residue in their lives.Diana Nguyen
Fiona Choi, best known for her lead role in , is involved in the development of Laurinda as well as being one of the cast members. She says the story of Lucy Lam resonated with her both personally and profoundly.
Fiona Choi, one of the cast members of Laurinda, says the story "reflects my own struggles with identity throughout my school years" as well as her frustrations in the never ending fight against overt and unconscious racism. Source: Supplied / Sarah Walker
In recent years, there has been a succession of Asian films and TV series dominating large and small screens, including Slumdog Millionaire, Crazy Rich Asians, Squid Game, Parasite and Everything Everywhere All at Once.
But it’s not just Asian cinema enjoying success; Asian-Australians are also bucking the trend. Chinese-Australian actor Eric So stars in the SBS Learn English series, , which follows the everyday life of an immigrant Chinese family who have recently arrived in Australia.
Mr So shares his struggles as an artist from an Asian background trying to break into the acting industry. He says: “A lot of Chinese students enjoy studying maths and science, but they are also interested in drama.”
Listen to SBS Cantonese
Eric So says entering the performing arts industry isn’t easy, but "if I persist in my aspirations, I will make it one day.” He also adds: "In recent times, directors are looking specifically for actors and actresses from a Chinese background."
SBS Chinese
10:35
‘Definitely a step forward’ with more opportunities
After finishing secondary school, he enrolled in The Australian Film and Television Academy, where he was the only student from a Chinese background at the time. After graduating in 2012, he has been involved in the performing arts and media sector. However, Mr So realises relying on acting alone isn’t enough, so he works at a sporting retailer and shoots commercials as a side hustle.
He says entering the performing arts industry isn’t easy. Though he found himself a manager right after graduation, it was difficult to find a role that was right for him.
But if I persist in my aspirations, I will make it one day.Eric So
And he did. Mr So stars as the father in Meet the Changs. He adds: “Of course, the ideal scenario for me is to star as a main character in a series. Even if there isn’t such an opportunity, I can continue to do what I love even if it’s just shooting commercials.”
Eric So and other cast members of Meet the Changs. Source: SBS / SBS Learn English
Ms Nguyen, too, says she feels optimistic as there has been more emerging talent from an Asian-Australian backgrounds and more stories being told from their perspectives. But she feels there are still gaps. She encourages Asian-Australians to take charge of their own narrative as each person’s experience is unique to them.
She says: “Laurinda is written from a Vietnamese-Australian perspective because it’s authentic to me. People say ‘you all sound the same’ but obviously it’s not true because Asian culture is diverse and each community is distinctive.
“My adaptation of Laurinda celebrates the Vietnamese-Australian community, an experience that is unique to us, but it doesn’t represent all Asian-Australian communities."
That’s why it’s important Asian-Australians keep articulating their own stories, and that is my mission, to see more of our voices being heard.Diana Nguyen
Ms Choi says she is proud to have worked on many uniquely Asian-Australian stories and to help them to be seen. She adds: “So many Australians are the children or grandchildren of migrants, straddling two or more cultures, traditions and languages.”
If our stories are not told, if our faces aren't included in the performing arts landscape, it tells our children that we are less than – that we don't belong.Fiona Choi
“I am also proud of projects where I am portrayed just as a regular Aussie – because after all, that is what I am.”
