‘Biting yet compassionate.’
‘Exquisitely sharp.’
ABOUT THE SHOW
Adapting Alice Pung’s award-winning book, writer and comedian Diana Nguyen and director Petra Kalive bring Laurinda’s schoolyard setting to the stage for a fresh and feisty new work. Like Heathers or Mean Girls with a uniquely Australian flavour, this delightful take on the beloved novel stars Fiona Choi (Torch the Place), Chi Nguyen (The Wilds), Jillian Nguyen (SBS's Hungry Ghosts), Ngoc Phan (Boy Swallows Universe) and Jenny Zhou (Girl, Interpreted) in an incisive, funny study of a woman caught between cultures and class.
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.
Whether high school is (thankfully) a distant memory or a current reality, this MTC NEXT STAGE commission offers a witty and moving insight into an all-too common experience as well as the inner strength it takes to speak truth to power.
Commissioned with support from the Malcolm Robertson Foundation, with play development supported by MTC’s Playwrights Giving Circle Donors, The Ian Potter Foundation, Naomi Milgrom Foundation, The Myer Foundation and The University of Melbourne.
Accessibility
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Wheelchair Accessible
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Hearing Assistance
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Audio Described
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Tactile Tour
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Open Captioning
Performance Type | Performance Date(s) |
---|---|
Audio Described
by Vision Australia |
Saturday 27 August at 2pm Tuesday 30 August at 6.30pm |
Tactile Tour
by Vision Australia |
Saturday 27 August, before the 2pm performance |
Open Captioning
via screen |
Saturday 3 September at 2pm |
Cast & Creatives

Fiona Choi
Katie / Mrs Leslie / As cast

Georgina Naidu
Trisha / Mrs Grey / Ms White / As cast

Chi Nguyen
Mum / Amber / Charlotte / As cast

Jillian Nguyen
Linh / Brodie

Ngoc Phan
Lucy / Lucy-35

Jenny Zhou
Tully / Chelsea / Mrs Newberry / As cast

Diana Nguyen
Writer

Petra Kalive
Director

Eugyeene Teh
Set Designer & AV Composition

Karine Larché
Costume Designer

Rachel Lee
Lighting Designer

Marco Cher-Gibard
Composer & Sound Designer

Justin Gardam
AV Designer

Xanthe Beesley
Movement Director
