ART FOR KIDS: Young talents from the Nón Lá Theatre offer shows on cải lương and tuồng – Vietnamese theatre genres - aimed at children and teenagers in HCM City. Photo courtesy of the theatre

HCM CITY – A special theatre programme offering live performances aims to entertain and introduce art to children and teenagers in HCM City. 

The programme is being launched by veteran actor Bạch Long and young talents of the Đồng Ấu Bạch Long Art Troupe and Nón Lá Theatre. 

It offers musical shows and comedy plays featuring vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes), cải lương and tuồng or hát bội (classical drama), traditional theatre genres from the southern and central regions.  

The themes of friendship, bravery and honestly are highlighted. 

The first show, Con Ngựa Bạch và Củ Cải Khổng Lồ (The White Horse and the Great Radish), is a comedy and includes new concepts for cải lương - a 100-year-old traditional theatre form. 

The play tells stories of family relationships, family values and love. 

MAINTAINING TRADITION: Veteran theatre actor Bạch Long (left) and his staff work hard to preserve Vietnamese theatre. Photo courtesy of the theatre

“Our play encourages children and teenagers living in urban areas to be free to talk, share and love together for a better world,” said the play’s art director Bạch Long, who also plays a lead role, in an interview with the Người Lao Động (Labourer) newspaper after the recent debut. 

Long and his actors worked several hours a day to guarantee the art's quality.

“Our performances are aimed at children and young audiences. We want to bring Vietnamese theatre closer to them,” said Long, who has more than 40 years working in the industry. "Through our programme, we will offer two and three-act plays that highlight the dreams and hopes of southern farmers.”

According to Long, with the increase in the number of cinemas featuring foreign films in the country, our actors have faced difficulty luring young fans back to Vietnamese traditional theatre. “But, we have never stopped developing our art in a professional way,” he said. 

The play Con Ngưạ Bạch và Củ Cải Khổng Lồ will be staged at 8pm every Saturday starting on October 1 at Nón Lá Theatre located in the HCM City Labour Cultural Centre, 55B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street, District 1. Tickets are priced at only VNĐ70,000 (US$3) to attract labourers with lower incomes. VNS