CUTTING-EDGE DRAMA - Talented artists of IDECAF Theatre perform in the drama called Tả Quân Lê Văn Duyệt-Người Mang 9 Án Tử (Field Marshal Lê Văn Duyệt - Nine Death Sentences with new concepts and techniques in drama. Photo courtesy of the theatre.

HCM CITY IDECAF Theatre will launch new drama shows on Vietnamese history aimed at students from secondary schools around HCM City next week.

Students and teachers will receive free bus tickets offered by the producers to the theatre for entertainment.

The programme’s first show is called Tả Quân Lê Văn Duyệt - Người Mang 9 Án Tử (Field Marshal Lê Văn Duyệt - Nine Death Sentences) and is scheduled to debut on April 10.

The play highlights patriotism and loyalty and will star talented artists Đình Toàn, Đại Nghĩa, Hoàng Trinh and Hoà Hiệp.

The 90-minute drama depicts the life of FM Duyệt, who was the Governor of Gia Định Citadel (later Sài Gòn and now HCM City) under the Nguyễn dynasty in the 19th century.

He instructed southern people to dig the Vĩnh Tế Canal linking the provinces of the Mekong River Delta region. The canal helps local people develop their farms and business.

He died in 1832. Lăng Ông, known as the Tomb of the Field Marshal, is located in HCM City’s Bình Thạnh District near the Bà Chiểu Market.

The tomb is recognised as a national historical and cultural heritage and a famous tourist site in the city.

PLAYS FOR KIDS - Private IDECAF Theatre is launching a new drama programme aimed at introducing Vietnamese history to students from secondary schools in HCM City. Photo courtesy of the theatre.

The work Tả Quân Lê Văn Duyệt - Người Mang 9 Án Tử is directed by Hoàng Duẩn.

“Our play combines drama, music and cải lương (reformed opera), a traditional form of Vietnamese theatre which began 100 years ago in the South,” said Duẩn, who has 20 years in the industry.

Duẩn decided to spend a large sum on costumes, and light and sound effects. Songs and music pieces based on Vietnamese folk music were composed to highlight the themes of the show.

Other productions of IDECAF are Trần Thủ Độ - Anh Hùng và Gian Hùng (General Trần Thủ Độ - The Hero) and Nữ Đại Đế Mê Linh (The Queen).

The cải lương show Nữ Đại Đế Mê Linh features the lives of Trưng Trắc and her younger sister Trưng Nhị who led the country’s first resistance movement against Chinese occupiers in the first century, around 2,000 years ago.

Trần Thủ Độ - Anh Hùng và Gian Hùng is a musical production of historical events dating back more than 800 years. Love and betrayal are among the themes of the show.

“Through our programme, we want to bring Vietnamese theatre closer to school graders. We hope our quality shows will help young audiences learn more about their history and culture,” said the theatre’s founder and art director Huỳnh Anh Tuấn.

The private IDECAF Theatre features 30 professional artists, along with backstage workers. It offers many experimental shows in drama, musical, cải lương and hát bội, two genres of traditional theatre in southern and central regions, respectively.

The drama Tả Quân Lê Văn Duyệt - Người Mang 9 Án Tử will open at 8pm on April 10 at Thanh Niên Theatre, 4 Phạm Ngọc Thạch Street, District 1. VNS