Cast/Crew
Diana Nguyen as Co-creater/ Kim Huong Nguyen (Me)
Diana named after the Princess, was born to be a doctor, to buy a house at 19 – wait 2 houses and no BF until after university. None of that happened, but the disappointment continues. She is 32, not married and no grandchildren for her mum…WHEN WILL IT END?!?!
Since the debut of Phi and Me in 2011, Diana’s life has changed. Instead of acting 50% of the time with 4-5 jobs, she is now acting 80% of the time, and is grateful for the confidence Kim Huong has given her. Her TV credits include – Underbelly for 20 seconds, Please Like Me for 20 seconds, Upper Middle Bogan for 20 seconds, Jack Irish for 20 seconds, Fancy Boy for 2 mins (Yeah) company member of Melbourne Playback Theatre Company retelling stories (melbourneplayback.com.au), and a Clown Doctor for the Humor Foundation and on TV for a full hour on Q&A ABC. Check out her CV on www.diananguyen.com.au
“But it is Diana Nguyen’s steroid-fed tiger mum that owns the show. A force-10 blitz of over-protective maternal tyranny…”
- Jim Schembri
Fiona Chau as Co-Creater
Fiona is short. No matter how hard she tried she could never grow any taller, “Damn you Asian genes.” While trying to meditate in a zen forest surrounded by pandas in Japan, she contemplated on how to use her vertically challenged body to its fullest potential. She looked down at her list titled ‘Dream Jobs’ and quickly crossed off ‘Professional Basketball player’. Five minutes later after watching bamboo grow, it dawned on her as to why she put on Earth. This pivotal moment of realisation has since then been dubbed by scientists, as ‘The Emancipation of Phi’. But one does not simply wake up and become Phi. After TEOP occurred Fiona spent many years training the inner Phi. In 2011 her character debuted at the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and again in 2012…. it was epic. Too bad this year she is taking a break from the stage. But there is no need to panic she will be back! And she is BACK!
“…Chau beautifully captures her character’s nuances but is more than capable of playing it for belly-laughs.”
- Lynette Walker
Melanie Killingsworth – Director
Mark Kenfield – Director of Photography
Anna Charalambous- Associate Producer/Production Coordinator/Sound Assistant
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm9308861
Pia Harrington – Script Supervisor
Shannon Michaelas – Editor
| Music Composer | Christopher Span |
| 1st AC | Jessa Rose |
| “B” Camera Operator | Brendan Cherry |
| 2nd Camera 1st AC | Shawkat Husseni |
| 2nd Camera Assistant | Rohan Megyeri & Stephen Loats |
| Script Supervisor | Pia Harrington |
| Sound Mixer | Gemma Stack |
| Sound Recordist | David Lauritsen & Anna Charalambous & Jessica Mason |
| Gaffer | Lewis Revell & Stephen Loats & Scott Pope |
| Best Boy | Moise Capalb |
| Costume Supervisor | Nicole Tran |
| Makeup Artists | Emma Rose & Lysa Kiely |
| Post Production Supervisor | Anna Charalambous |
| Sound Designer | Gemma Stack |
| Visual Effects Editor | ?? |
| Special Effects Editor | Jason Barter |
| Production Coordinator | Anna Charalambous |
| Stills Photographer | Kristian Pirotta & Raphael Chan & Jody Wright |
| Catering (by) | Heidi Salander |
| Unit Assistant | Jossie Criddle |
| Production Assistants | Eli Landes, Nicola Gonzales |
Chi Nguyen as Phi Nguyen
Chi Nguyen’s full name is Nguyen Thi Kim Chi; yes, you read it correctly: Kim Chi like the spicy Korean dish. So it goes without saying that Chi is a massive food addict, live-to-eat-not-eat-to-live kind of girl. She is also a drama queen since birth, a professional shower-singer, a Sudoku enthusiast and a loud and proud Hufflepuff. Chi has just completed her three-year Acting training at the Victorian College of the Arts, and the greatest things she has learned from the experience is a- it’s OK to be different, b- talking to yourself is in fact quite normal and c- eating Tim Tams for breakfast when you’re in a stressful period is extremely comforting (but don’t read the nutrition facts – may cause crying).
Don Tran is Uncle Ray.
Maria Tran is Aunty 8.
Slone Sudiro is Danny.
http://vca.unimelb.edu.au/artistic-disciplines/theatre/acting-company-2017
Nina Harris is Harr.
| Doctor Thang | Neil Ta |
| Ticket Inspector | Moise Capalb |
| Tu / Tracey | Christine Nguyen |
| Tu’s Boyfriend | Kevin Ho |
| Tu’s Baby | Mia Chow |
| Tu’s Father | Michael Chow |
| Tu’s Mother | Diana Chow |
| Pho Waiter | Suzanne Nguyen |
| Ninja | Michael Tang |
| Young Phi | Sera Nguyen |
| Aunty Six | Karen Luu |
| Uncle Five | Gary Nguyen |
Extras
| Nicole Tran |
| Jordan Chow |
| Kristian Pirotta |
| Garth Ernzten |
| Rose Nguyen |
| Lam Do |
| Quang Do |
| Trâ Nguyêt Thu |
| Maì Pham |
| Ngoc Le |
| Tuget Bach Thi Nguyên |
| Angelina Doan |
| John Doan |
| Michelle Rushen |
| My Tham |
| Dugen Ngoc Vo |
| Chin Ho |
| Anh Pham |
| Anh La |
| Qui Tam Le |
| Hoa Huynh |
| Phuong Vu |
| Luu My Phung |
| Tran Thi Mui |
| Aunty Four | Kim Huynh |
| Uncle Three | Lee Ton |
| Teen Boy 1 | Khuong Nguyen |
| Teen Boy 2 | Shadab Safa |
| Physics Teacher | Marie Werrett |
| Mr McFhail | Tom Davis |
| Cheryl Student Welfare Coordinator | Emma Smith |
| English Teacher | Pauline Lachica Cruz |
| AMES English Teacher | Peter D Flaherty |
| Ticket Attendent | Fiona Chau |
| Librarian | Phoebe Mason |
| Another Aunty | Hong Vo |
| Thi Nhi Nguyen |
| Huong Thi Nguyen |
| Thu Pham |
| Kim Tran |
| Hai Nguyen |
| Kan Ich Nguyen |
| Skorin Ngan |
| Thi Hoa Luu |
| Hong Vo |
| Van |
| Ngoc Nguyen |
| Dinh Dang |
| Hung |
| Phang Trinh |
| Latjor Chuol |
| Angelina Segal |
| Do Kim Hoang |
| Raphael Segal |
| Hi Thu Hong Nguyen |
| Andrew Pagliuro |
| Armaan Keast |
| Thi Kim Cuong Tran |
| Ci Thang Nguyen |
| Hong Thi Nguyen |
| Xuyen – Thi Do |
Steve McPhail as “all the other characters we can’t play”
Steve is a bit over 38 years old, okay, a lot over 38 years old. He has been trying to act and entertain in Melbourne for about the last 40 years (which proves he’s over 38) featuring in the first productions in some of Melbourne’s most innovative fringe theatres. He directed the first show at the Carlton Courthouse (when it was still a Courthouse) was a lead actor in The Church theatre in Hawthorn (but all that was last century). Although born in Australia, he claims to be second generation Vietnamese for two reasons – he has taught over 5,000 Vietnamese students in Springvale over the past 13 years (of which Diana and Fiona claim to be the best two ever!) and has an unfinished thesis on the Experiences of Second Generation Vietnamese girls and their connectedness to family, school, peer group and community. In fact his favourite food is Combination Pho from Pho Huang in St James Avenue, Springvale. He even pronounces it “Fuh” so he must be part Vietnamese. To every one of those Asian girls he has taught, he would thank you for letting him share your resilience and laughter.
“Providing sturdy support in no fewer than eight parts is local stage veteran Steve McPhail. His straight-man turn opposite Kim during a Centrelink interview is hands-down hilarious.”
- Jim Schembri
PETER NOIC as Phi Nguyen 2015-2017
Peter is an up-and-coming actor who loves to entertain. When he’s not out and about, you can be sure to find him in his room. You may catch him making awkward videos for people to watch on YouTube, while you cringe silently in the corner at how lame his jokes are. But be warned, if you hear him screaming, he’s not in any pain. He’s probably just yelling at his really bad team mates while he’s playing Dota 2. As he likes to put it “Dota is love… Dota is life…” Peter is an expert at procrastination and at being a night owl. In fact, if a night owl saw him, it would probably think it was looking in a mirror. But that’s silly, because how does a night owl know about mirrors? Oh no, the cringe attacks have already started. Despite the countless fangirls calling him ‘cute’ (*cough cough*) and all the commendations that he’s received through being a Dota 2 pubstar, Peter is actually a nice guy. Trust me, I’m as surprised as you are. You can check out his cringe-worthy videos at: http://www.youtube.com/Peternoic.
Anne Nguyen – Stage manager & tech 2012-2015
The No 1 daughter in Diana’s family – Golden Child.
Amber Hart – Stage Manager & Tech 2011
