ENTERTAINING HISTORY: The HCM City-based Sen Việt Theatre will offer Lá Cờ Thêu Sáu Chữ Vàng (Embroidered flag with six golden words), a new show of musical and Southern theatre featuring Vietnamese historical events and national heroes. The play is targeted to youngsters. Photo courtesy of Sen Việt Theatre.

HCM CITY The private Sen Việt Theatre has returned with a new show of musical and southern theatre featuring Vietnamese historical events and national heroes. 

The show, entitled Lá Cờ Thêu Sáu Chữ Vàng (Embroidered Flag With Six Golden Words), targets children and young people. 

It tells the story of young hero Trần Quốc Toản of the Trần Dynasty, who was 16 and well known for his active role in the war of resistance of Đại Việt (now Việt Nam) against the Mongol invasion in 1282.

Themes of monarchist loyalty and patriotism will be highlighted. 

The combination of traditional songs, dances and musical pieces is directed and produced by Meritorious Artist Lê Nguyên Đạt, theatre director of Sen Việt. 

The actor-singers will be accompanied by Vietnamese folk instruments, such as tranh (Vietnamese zither), bầu (Vietnamese monochord) and nguyệt (two-stringed long neck moon flute). 

Unique styles of cải lương (reformed opera) and tuồng (classical drama), two special theatre genres that originated in south and central Việt Nam, will be featured. 

Young talents Thái Vinh, Đăng Khoa and Hoài Thanh are working with their older colleagues, including Meritorious Artist Vũ Luân and Lê Trung Thảo, to offer a quality performance that meets the taste of young people. 

STAGE PRESENCE: Young and veteran artists from private Sen Việt Theatre are helping to preserve and develop Vietnamese theatre through their quality shows. Photo courtesy of Sen Việt Theatre.

“We want to bring Vietnamese theatre closer to young audiences, while helping our young actors develop their careers,” said the play’s director Đạt. “Our show will provide young fans with images, sounds and music that provide them with useful insights about their history and culture.” 

Sen Việt Theatre is composed of 20 skilled actors, mostly graduates of leading art schools in the region.

One of the theatre’s highlighted shows is Hương Sắc Phương Nam (The Colour of the South), a special programme that includes tài tử music, considered the prototype for vọng cổ (nostalgic tunes) and cải lương, a theatre form that originated 100 years ago in the south. 

The 60-minute show tells the stories of southern people, their history, culture and lifestyle in different periods. The artists use their art to depict images of beautiful rivers, green fields and forests, villages and animals.

Another production is Truyền Tích Cổ Loa Thành (Story of the Cổ Loa Citadel), a cải lương play about Vietnamese history and culture in the period ruled by King An Dương Vương, founder of the Âu Lạc Kingdom in the third century BC.

It highlights patriotism and honesty, as well as love and betrayal.

It won a silver medal for Best Play and two silver medals for Best Artists at the 4th Hà Nội Theatre Festival organised by the Việt Nam Theatre Association in co-operation with the Hà Nội Department of Culture & Sports in 2020. 

The new show Lá Cờ Thêu Sáu Chữ Vàng will enter the first National Theatre Festival for Children and Teenagers, which is organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in Hải Phòng City from May 13-20.

It will be staged on weekends, starting from April 30, at the city’s Theatre Association at 5B Võ Văn Tần Street in District 3. VNS