Episode Details

In this episode, Ken connects with Tuyen Do, a powerhouse of the UK creative scene. Tuyen is a "multi-hyphenate" before the term was trendy—an actress, playwright, and now novelist who broke barriers as the first Vietnamese person to grace major national stages in London.

We journey through the harrowing "bookends" of her family: from her eldest brother, who survived five years alone in a British orphanage as a child refugee, to Tuyen, the youngest, who fought through paralyzing social anxiety to own her voice. They discuss the "secretive" nature of Vietnamese families, the liberation found in drama, and the massive proportional difference between the Vietnamese diaspora in the UK, Germany, and the United States.

Inside this deep dive into the British-Vietnamese soul:

The 12-Year-Old Pioneer: The story of Tuyen’s brother, a "boat person" picked up by a British tanker, and how his sacrifice paved the way for six siblings.

From Finance to Fame: Why Tuyen spent her 20s "sleeping through" university before a community drama class at age 26 changed everything.

Summer Rose: The journey of the first full-run British-Vietnamese play and its transition into a novel (releasing in the US on May 12, 2026).

The "Berlin Connection": Tuyen discusses her lead role in the upcoming German-Vietnamese thriller, The Matriarch, and why Germany’s community is five times larger than Britain's.

The Podcast Manifesto: Kenneth consults Tuyen on launching her own show to unite "creatives of color" and bridge the global lily pads of the diaspora.

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Many of you still have the chance to record and preserve the legacies of your own families. I’ve sat with families now for interview sessions to record the rich histories of parents and explore the lives of the generations that preceded them. Don’t let your family stories go untold! Take a moment to reach out and together we will bring out your family’s story on a recorded journey. - Kenneth Nguyen

Visit https://www.vietnamstorybank.com/ today for more information!