New operas are few and far between, especially original ideas that don’t simply adapt an already popular book or a film. Conceived by soprano Elizabeth Lewis, and with music by Brenton Broadstock, The Nurses at Vung Tau isn’t just an original idea, it opens up a little-known part of Australian history, relating a story of struggle over adversity that deserves to be told. Clive Paget caught up with Lewis to find out how she came across these remarkable women and how she went about turning their stories into an opera.

How did you come across the story behind The Nurses at Vung Tau?

In early 2019 I read the book Our Vietnam Nurses by Annabelle Brayley. I was struck by how well suited the stories in Annabelle’s book could work dramatically on stage. I contacted Annabelle and asked for her assistance in contacting some of the veteran nurses with the view interviewing them myself for the project. Annabelle very kindly put me in touch with Ann Healey, who Annabelle had interviewed for her book, and from there each person I spoke put me in touch with someone else.