Vietnamese actors – ages 18 to 80 – six roles
THE COCONUT CHILDREN
ĐỨA TRẺ TRÁI DỪA
Book Author and Playwright Vivian Pham
Co-Directed by Hannah Goodwin & Catherine Văn-Davies
Belvoir St Theatre are looking for six Vietnamese actors of various ages to join our ensemble cast for Vivian Pham’s stage adaptation of The Coconut Children in 2026.
Applications close:
- 12 October, 2025 for the roles of OSCAR, VINCE, DANNY, ALEX
- 2 November, 2025 for the roles of BÀ NGOẠI and HẠNH
Questions: Direct questions to Kelsey Martin, Artistic Administrator on [email protected]
This is a paid opportunity. Actors must be based in Sydney, NSW and available for the rehearsal & performance periods. No former acting experience required. Successful applications will be invited to attend an in-person audition at Belvoir.
APPLY HERE
Please fill out the form below. If you experience any difficulties, you’re welcome to email your responses directly to [email protected]
SUMMARY OF AVAILABLE ROLES
See below for detailed role briefs.
- BÀ NGOẠI – female – 60 to 80 years – Irreverent, riotous, and joyful. Speaks fluent Vietnamese and some English.
- HẠNH – female – 40+ years – Hardworking, humble and mild-mannered. Speaks fluent Vietnamese and some English.
- OSCAR – male – 12 years (18+ actor) – Strategic, delicate, and determined. Speaks fluent English and some Vietnamese.
- VINCE – male – 16 years (18+ actor) – Tough, sensitive, and audacious. Speaks fluent English and some Vietnamese.
- DANNY – male – 16 years (18+ actor) – Optimistic, unruly and loyal. Speaks fluent English and some Vietnamese.
- ALEX – male – 16 years (18+ actor) – Cynical, resourceful, and resilient. Speaks fluent English and some Vietnamese.
For the roles of OSCAR, VINCE, DANNY, and ALEX, male and gender non-conforming actors are encouraged to apply.
ABOUT THE PLAY
Vivian Pham’s bestseller was a sensation when published in 2020, now her much-anticipated stageplay comes to Belvoir in an end-of-year treat.
Cabramatta, 1998. Sonny Vuong and Vince Tran are sixteen; they’ve known each other since they were small. Sonny lives in a world of imaginary love affairs and nineteenth century novels. But Vince has done it harder. He’s just out of juvenile detention, he’s seen how close brutality and despair can be when life knocks you off balance. And now they’re back in each other’s lives, thanks to some weird goings-on – a grandma who’s hitting the bottle, a stash of porn at the Cabra Golf Club, and the inevitable secrets from the old country coming to the surface. And just how do you find yourself, when you’re constantly being watched and judged in this loving, maddening community, full of pain and joy?
A story of old values, new possibilities, and coming of age.
PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
Creative Development: 27 April – 17 May 2026 (3 weeks)
Rehearsals: 26 October – 15 November 2026 (3 weeks)
Technical Rehearsals: 16 – 22 November 2026 (1 week)
Performances: 23 November – 27 December 2026 (6 weeks)
(8 live performances per week, Tuesday to Sunday)
BÀ NGOẠI
Vietnamese actor – Female – 60s to 80s
CHARACTER: Bà Ngoại
CHARACTER IDENTITY: First generation Vietnamese Australian, Female-identifying
CHARACTER AGE: 60 – 80
ABOUT: Bà Ngoại is the grandmother of Oscar and Sonny, and the mother of their mother, Hương. Bà Ngoại can be a handful but she loves deeply, fiercely and loudly. She is living with a dependence on alcohol and regularly sneaks out of the family home to buy lotto tickets. She is unfiltered, riotous, and impulsive. Bà Ngoại is the person who ultimately reconnects Sonny with her childhood friend, Vince.
SKILLS REQUIRED: Bilingual role, English and Vietnamese. Speaks fluent Vietnamese and some conversational English.
HẠNH
Vietnamese actor – Female – 40s
CHARACTER: Hạnh
CHARACTER IDENTITY: First generation Vietnamese Australian, Female-identifying
CHARACTER AGE: 40s
ABOUT: Hạnh is mother to Vince. She lives next door to Sonny’s family with her husband and their one year old baby, Emma. Hardworking, humble and mild-mannered, Hạnh works at the local butchery and takes odd tailoring jobs out of her garage. Her husband has an alcohol use disorder and can be violent towards her. Hạnh was forbidden by her husband to visit Vince in the two years he was in juvie and has concealed the knowledge of a new sibling from him. Hạnh is often criticised for her gentle approach to parenting and is blamed by her neighbor, Hương, for Vince’s behaviour. However, despite having endured extreme violence and trauma, Hạnh is still able to offer love to her children and those around her.
SKILLS REQUIRED: Bilingual role, English and Vietnamese. Speaks fluent Vietnamese and conversational English.
OSCAR
Vietnamese actor – Male – 12 years (18+ actor)
CHARACTER: Oscar Vuong
CHARACTER IDENTITY: Second generation Vietnamese Australian, Male-identifying
CHARACTER AGE: 12
PLEASE NOTE: we will only be accepting applications from actors aged 18+.
ABOUT: Oscar is Sonny’s younger brother and only sibling. He has just started high school, and has a close and loving relationship with his sister. Sonny protects him and parents him, walking him to and from school, and insisting that he drinks a full glass of milk every day. When he discovers that she was hurt in the past, he has to contend with how he could protect her in the future.
SKILLS REQUIRED: Bilingual role. Speaks English predominately, alongside everyday conversational Vietnamese used in family contexts.
VINCE
Vietnamese actor – Male – 16 years (18+ actor)
CHARACTER: Vincent Tran
CHARACTER IDENTITY: Second generation Vietnamese Australian, Male-identifying
CHARACTER AGE: 16
PLEASE NOTE: we will only be accepting applications from actors aged 18+.
ABOUT: Vince is fresh out of juvenile detention after a two-year stint. He’s bold, brash, and larger-than-life. His giggle alone could probably break the sound barrier. Vince is quickly re-embraced by his gang of old friends, but beneath the carefree exterior, he is struggling to contend with his broken home. When he reconnects with his next-door neighbour and childhood friend, Sonny, they help each other to face the reality of their broken homes and imagine a different future for themselves.
SKILLS REQUIRED: Bilingual role, English and Vietnamese. Must be able to speak everyday conversational Vietnamese used in family contexts.
DANNY
Vietnamese actor – Male – 16 years (18+ actor)
CHARACTER NAME: Danny
CHARACTER IDENTITY: Second generation Vietnamese Australian, Male-identifying
CHARACTER AGE: 16
PLEASE NOTE: we will only be accepting applications from actors aged 18+.
ABOUT: Alongside Alex and Tim-Tam, Danny is one of Vince’s closest friends. Together they are a lively, raucous and at times, a dangerous crew. Danny is the youngest, most athletically inclined of the bunch. He’s obsessed with his protein intake and is everyone else’s self-designated personal trainer. Underneath the bravado the boys are unfailingly loyal to each other. In the absence of anyone else to do it, they have learned to take care of each other.
SKILLS REQUIRED: Bilingual role, English and Vietnamese. Speaks English predominately, alongside everyday conversational Vietnamese used in family contexts.
EXTRA NOTES: Actor may double with character of Oscar.
ALEX
Vietnamese actor – Male – 16 years (18+ actor)
CHARACTER: Alex
CHARACTER IDENTITY: Second generation Vietnamese Australian, Male-identifying.
CHARACTER AGE: 16
PLEASE NOTE: we will only be accepting applications from actors aged 18+.
ABOUT: Alex is Vince’s best friend. While Vince brings the brawn, Alex has always been the brains of their friendship group made up of himself, Vince, Tim Tam and Danny. At a young age Alex was forced into adult responsibilities after witnessing the overdose and subsequent death of his father. As the eldest male family member in Australia, his obligations extend to sending money back to family in Vietnam. With Vince’s return from juvie, the two are forced to reconcile their responsibilities to their families and to each other.
SKILLS REQUIRED: Bilingual role, English and Vietnamese. Speaks English predominately, alongside everyday conversational Vietnamese used in family contexts.
APPLY
Please fill out the form below. If you experience any difficulties, you’re welcome to email your responses directly to [email protected]
