Date of Interview: 28 August 2025
Interviewer: Robin Khor
Interviewee: Anna Nguyen
ROBIN KHOR
Why don’t you start by telling us how your journey with New Earth Theatre began?
ANNA NGUYEN
It was many moons ago, like, I think maybe even 15 to 20 years ago. And I think I got pulled in to do it, it was the Typhoon Festival, they did.
So it was like a play reading. It was just a reading. And I had to do a Vietnamese Australian accent, and it was Kwong Loke who was directing that particular reading. So that’s when I first encountered New Earth Theatre, and then I didn’t have contact with them for a really long time. I think when you’re growing up in the industry, different companies nurture you.
So I think Tamasha nurtured me more in my 20s and as a theatre maker, as a director. And then I got back in contact with New Earth Theatre a little bit later on when I had moved up north. I was doing light touch a little bit, bits and bobs with them, and obviously because Lian and I trained together as creative producers on the Sustained Theatre programme.
We got to know each other very well and just have remained like really good allies in the industry. And she’s an amazing peer to peer support as well. And then she went to apply for the exec role and then got it and I went on to work at Home in Manchester. And then from there I moved back to London to work at the Museum of the Home.
And that’s when I really connected a bit more with New Earth Theatre on a partnership basis, working together. And we tried to make a few things work, but it didn’t quite work. But there was definitely a will to work together. It was just about finding the right project. And then we did, which was Sonic Pho. I worked closely with Kumiko, which was a wonderful experience. And she and Nicola and myself. They commissioned me to do Sonic Pho, and then our companies worked closely together to kind of do the wrap-around launch and activity and the community activity around it.
And that was 2, 3 years ago now. But I’ve kind of always also just sort of industry wise, kept quite close to New Earth Theatre. And then I was,oh yeah I did do one of their alumni, I was one of their alumni in the academy. So it was nice to like, not just get involved as a producer, and actually be a participant and enjoy some of the stuff that they were offering to help artist development.
So I did their writing course. And Naomi was running it at the time, Naomi Sumner. She was brilliant and I was living in Manchester at the same time, and because I was dyslexic as well, I couldn’t do it in its normal format and she was really brilliant at trying to break it down and help me find a different way to access writing. And then got involved during lockdown with the alums as well.
So it’s been like here and there, but I felt like they’ve always been in my life. Either from a partnership point of view or an artistic point of view, and I have a really warm relationship with Kumiko, with the New Earth team, and because I lived in Deptford, and so I just hang out sometimes at their office and work on my things.
Yeah, they felt like family.
ROBIN KHOR
What is your most fond memory with New Earth Theatre?
ANNA NGUYEN
Yeah, I think it definitely was with Kumiko and Lian. I think the partnership worked because we worked so close together as well, and because they were in my neighborhood, I think we were in a lot of meetings together. And it’s just natural chemistry as I felt very connected with both of them. And then it really came more through Sonic Pho. Where we, Kumiko, are in my house, you know, and she’s like sitting on my armchair. And, you know, we were recording Sonic Pho in my living room and it just felt very natural as well. And, you know, you sort of spend time outside of artistic projects together, eating together, sharing industry wisdom with each other and helping to find solutions.
I think that is when it starts to become more than just professional. Yeah, it felt more like family. There was more of an ease.
ROBIN KHOR
In what way in that sense that your collaboration or your relationship with New Earth Theatre has developed your career? How have they participated in the growth of your career?
ANNA NGUYEN
I think Sonic Pho was a huge one.
Kumiko was just so supportive of my voice and really championed my voice and my idea for that as well, which was amazing. And then it was just great because they really listened as well as I was able to get involved, not just as an artist, but as a creative producer. And so, yeah, that project I think was the most rewarding with them.
It’s a very obscure style of theatre as well, so they took a chance on me. It wasn’t your mainstream, quite open to exploring different ways of telling stories. I know Kumiko’s like that anyway, which is great. You know, she did the exhibition, and that’s definitely more down my street at working with archives, collections and telling stories in different ways.
They have the traditional side, but they were open. I think her artistic directorship and Lian’s were quite open to more alternative artists like myself that don’t often, most of my stuff isn’t on a stage, it’s in a restaurant. It’s around a bowl of Pho, it’s around a dinner table in someone’s home, on a bus. Like they were really open to that and working in different ways. And they were quite, I think, in her stead. She was, they were both quite community oriented as well, which is more my area, community engagement. Their DNA was quite diverse. So that meant that as a company, I could grow with it.
ROBIN KHOR
Let’s talk a little bit more about Sonic Pho. So how did this partnership come about?
ANNA NGUYEN
Sometimes I’m still learning to discern because I’m a theatre maker and a creative producer, and sometimes I cannot discern what is supposed to be my artistic idea and what was supposed to be an idea that I do with the community. And so it was one of those situations. And because, you know, Kumiko is very gracious as well. We knew we wanted to work together and we wanted to do something for the ESEA community, and we were just sort of brainstorming about what it could be.
Then I came up with that idea of Sonic Pho, but then I didn’t realise it was actually my artistic, it should have gone into that side. And then I went, oh no, I kind of just given my, something that I’m really passionate about, that I think I’m meant to make as an artist, and it’s a story that I’m meant to tell into a community, creative producing setting.
So now someone else is going to tell that story, and I was like, oh, maybe, you know, it’s fine. I can give it to the community and this is something that I could do with others. So then I kind of came clean with Kumiko. I was like, I think I accidentally just gave an idea that I’m meant to do as an artist, not as a creative producer.
And because we were really struggling to find the right artist for it as well, because it was birthed for me. And then I sort of shared like a, Kumiko where it will come from that actually came from me just sitting in Vietnamese restaurants in Deptford and feeling really, really sad that Covid had discouraged so many people from coming to eat in these beautiful restaurants that I grew up with and that our family run.
So I thought, what could I do with my skills to encourage more business, encourage people to eat again, and renew their relationship with these Vietnamese restaurants? And then I was sitting there eating a bowl, and then I had this beautiful music on in my ears. And then suddenly, my bowl first started to animate, in front of my eyes, and I saw a woman swimming across my bowl of Pho through the debris and it was my mother.
And I was like, oh my gosh. And I was having this, like, beautiful sensory experience. And I was like, this is it. This is the piece. And I shared that with Kumiko and she was so again, very gracious, very, really listens to her artists. And she said, well, then I think, I think you should do it. I think it’s really clear where it’s come from.
And then she said, would you like to be the artist for it? And I said, I’d absolutely love to be an artist. And so from there we found beautiful ways of involving the community. So that was really important as well, that we shared it with the wider community, people that are not ESEA so they could understand and learn more about the Vietnamese story and experience not just through a lens of war. It was a fun project and a very meaningful one. So it’s a great way to bring the community together. And we had worked with local chefs as well. So that was Lian’s idea of actually, let’s bring on local Vietnamese chefs who cook Pho and, you know, another way of amplifying them. And again, sharing about the history and the culture.
And so it grew and we kind of collaboratively put it together and involved it on a more not just an artistic thing, but actually how do we use it to share the culture with others?
ROBIN KHOR
So New Earth, in this case, has sort of, worked with them both artistically and in the producing side of work. Is that kind of the case?
ANNA NGUYEN
Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was beautiful. It was so full of depth and full of heart. And they really, they really cared. You know, it just wasn’t superficial at all. And so I feel like as an ESEA artist, you know, when you’re working with you and you feel really held. You know you’re not enough to explain yourself, like they’re going to get it.
They’re going to get your nuances and they’re going to also champion it. So that is a layer off of your creative process, which is wonderful.
ROBIN KHOR
What would be the biggest thing that sets New Earth apart from other companies?
ANNA NGUYEN
They’re very good at consistently bringing us together. So you keep touching base with them in your life, like it’s kind of weaving of them because they’re always in your life as well.
Like, you know, I’ve attended a few socials up here. like they keep creating space and then you keep seeing the same people. And so what happens is they’re building a community, a community of creatives and artists. And so it becomes this New Earth family by default, because you keep attending their events. And that’s drip fed over ten years.
And so by the time you get to the point of like making something that there’s so much trust and so much familiarity. You know, a safety and you’ve bonded through seeing shows together and having little chats after the show. You know, it’s all those constant intersections that you have, through New Earth Theatre that builds a foundation for when you arrive. There’s an ease when you just even when you’re communicating over emails, all it’s in-between stuff as well of sharing, being in meetings together, there’s already that ease. And you underestimate how much that actually plays a big part when you then start working with an organisation. You’ve already had so many touchpoints. So yeah, I know this, like I said, because the nature of them championing East and Southeast Asian work is, it’s the same thing for any person of colour when you walk into a room, you don’t have to think about your identity, which is rare for us to have spaces like that.
ROBIN KHOR
Throughout the years that you’ve been involved in theatre or like since, you know New Earth, how would you describe the shift in the industry?
ANNA NGUYEN
I think the academies have been quite pioneering. That was a really good move because I think, quite rightly, Kim Goh pointed out that, you know, if we’re not finding new hidden, you know, people that might not think themselves as artists if we’re not continuing to nurture more ESEA artists eventually you just kind of stick with the same people, and then all pool gets smaller and smaller and smaller, so there needs to be an outlet where we continue to nurture talent, basically, so that we can keep growing our presence in the industry. The ESEA diaspora is very diverse in itself, showing different kinds of talent as well, which is really important, not just the same what you expect it to be and changing that narrative in the mainstream and how we’re represented in mainstream.
And I think New Earth Theatre, I know Tamasha as well, they were really pioneers. They’re the one that has made the effort to come out of London and not be so London centric. Like, Lian really made an effort to really push New Earth’s presence in Birmingham and Manchester and Newcastle like, and that takes great intentionality and a lot of energy to work regionally and build really good relationships where that they can peter out of London and serve the country nationally.
So that was a really good move. And you can see other companies are following suit, because I know recently that Kakilang have started to do the same thing. And it’s great, you know, I mean, I hope there will actually be a theatre company or an arts company that is ESEA that is in the North, because it would be lovely to have something here, situated here.
But at the moment a lot of things are petering out of London. It was a good template for others to follow as well, and that it is possible and it will actually enrich your company more if you’re able to move. And it takes time as well to peter out regionally.
ROBIN KHOR
Are there any challenges you have faced as an ESEA artist in the UK and how has New Earth supported you along that way?
ANNA NGUYEN
It’s been less like in an obvious way, it’s more behind the scenes, behind the background. Kind of having, like I said, peer to peer support in the industry, working in the industry and having allies and people that you trust that you can go to and really be yourself as well and just share things that you’re struggling with. Like, I think Lian has played a huge part in that for us both, just being a soundboard for each other, like, what do you think of this or what do you think of that? And getting that peer to peer support and learning, growing together behind the scenes has been really important. And having someone that is ESEA as well, again, because you’ve got a shared goal and a shared vision in many ways are different in terms of the different companies and organisations championing the same thing. So you both kind of get it. So that’s been hugely supportive.
We didn’t have a home like many of the other organisations like Talawa, you had Tamasha that were representing other diasporas, and we didn’t have anything. So New Earth Theatre was the only one at the time. Now there’s a bit more like there’s Moongate, Kakilang and a few other initiatives, that are movements, might not be companies that are rising up, that you can draw strength from.
But because New Earth’s been so long standing and obviously they’re funded as well. They’re NPO funded and so they’re very recognised as well. They’ve got a lot of, they’ve got a very strong reputation and track record. So the industry trusts them as well.
They have a lot of influence and power in the industry to make strides. And they are producing high quality productions because we need to keep seeing high quality productions on stage. I think we cannot lose that. You can make quality in all different strands and spheres of work, but I’m talking specifically about productions. I’d be really sad if we lost that side, and we couldn’t gather to see a full production, full cast, East Asian and written by an East Asian writer, sound designer like that is really, really special.
And I think New Earth probably is the one that’s keeping that going. And I’d love to see that grow even more. Like, where else could that go? Could they also make partnerships that can elevate that part of their work?
ROBIN KHOR
Has there been any very difficult times when you were working with New Earth?
ANNA NGUYEN
In my early days, New Earth was the only one around, they were quite saturated, so it was quite hard to connect with them. I couldn’t find a way in. I had that one moment with Typhoon and then nothing for like eight years. And so that’s why I kind of was looking around to see if there were any other organisations supporting Global Majority, or because they were the only one, the opportunities were fewer. It was challenging to connect with them. In the early days, I think it’s just being the only organisation around. It was difficult to serve everyone.
ROBIN KHOR
What does it mean to be a part of New Earth’s 30 years and legacy?
ANNA NGUYEN
Yeah. I’m so proud. I’m so proud of them. I’m so proud of all the leaders leading up to, you know, Ailin now.
Like it’s just keep passing the beacon on like everyone has played a part, you know. I know it’s not been perfect all the way. You know we’re only human and we do make mistakes. And everyone’s doing what they think is best at that time. But we’ve all played a part in putting a brick into, if New Earth Theatre was a house everyone’s played a part in putting a brick in there and keeping those foundations strong, and I’m just so glad that it’s continuing on, really, thirty years, that’s not easy, that’s not easy in this climate as well.
It seriously is not easy. And so we should pause and stop for a moment to celebrate that. What a life we’ve got, how far we’ve gone, you know, like huge. Like you know, we celebrate marriages and weddings and anniversaries like, that’s it’s really important. Celebrating anniversaries is about remembering. And it’s important to remember because it gives you fuel and strength and motivation to keep going as well.
And it’s an opportunity to unite as a community as well. I’m really excited to be a part of it.
ROBIN KHOR
And do you have any message for people or like the next generation of BESEA artists who encounter New Earth for the first time.
ANNA NGUYEN
Enjoy the journey. I think, be generous with your gifts as well. I think creativity is better for you, but also for others to enjoy as well.
And even when you’re encountering New Earth as well. Like, don’t think that you don’t have something to share with them. Like we actually have to learn off of each other. And just because New Earth is a company, it doesn’t mean they’re not open to learning from you as well as you. Even as a newly graduated ESEA actor, you have something to also pour into New Earth and put your brick in that as well.
And so just keeping that, it’s an exchange to enrich the wider ecology.