RISING STAR - Young talent Hoàng Hải from HCM City will perform in historical plays at the 2024 National Cải Lương Festival in Cần Thơ City in October. Photo courtesy of Sen Việt Drama Troupe.

By Thu Anh

HCM CITY — Young artists from traditional art troupes in HCM City are working to prepare for their performances at the 2024 National Cải Lương (reformed opera) Festival in Cần Thơ City next month.

The biennale festival creates opportunities for young talents in cải lương, a traditional art form originating from the South over 100 years ago, to develop their professional careers.

Artists from HCM City are among more than 1,000 performers from State-owned and private theatres and troupes across the country who will attend the event.

They include young director Dương Khôn and his staff from the HCM City University of Theatre and Cinematography.

Khôn will debut with a historical play called Truyền Tích Cổ Loa (The Legend of Cổ Loa Citadel), a production based on Vietnamese folk tales.

The show features the uniqueness of cải lương. New and experimental concepts in structure, conversation and directing style are also highlighted.

It tells stories about King An Dương Vương, who defeated the last of the Hùng Kings in 257 BCE and established the kingdom of Âu Lạc, choosing the site of Cổ Loa as his capital (now the citadel is a unique tourist destination located in Hà Nội).

Young performers Nguyễn Thanh Toàn, Hoàng Quốc Thanh and Lệ Trinh are featured.

"Through the festival, we hope to draw young people back to cải lương, one of the country’s three traditional arts along with tuồng (classical drama) of the central region and chèo (traditional opera) of the north,” said the show’s director Khôn, adding that he wants young artists will have more opportunities to devote their lives to cải lương.

Young talent Hoàng Hải of the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương will show off his art in the play Người Mang Chín Án Tử (Nine Death Sentences).

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

FM Duyệt instructed southern people to dig the Vĩnh Tế Canal linking the provinces of the Mekong River Delta region. The canal helped local people develop their farms and businesses.

He died in 1832. Lăng Ông, known as the Tomb of the Field Marshal, is located in HCM City’s Bình Thạnh District near Bà Chiểu Market, and has become one of the city’s most favourite national historical and tourist sites.

“I will bring a new taste of cải lương to serve young audiences at the festival,” said actor Hải as FM Lê Văn Duyệt.

CẢI LƯƠNG SHOWCASE - The 2024 National Cải Lương Festival in Cần Thơ City will create opportunities for young talents in cải lương, a traditional art form originating from the South over 100 years ago, to develop their professional careers. Photo courtesy of HCM City Theatre Artists’ Association.

Private Sen Việt Drama Troupe will send its latest show entitled Nữ Tướng Tây Sơn (Tây Sơn Dynasty’s Female General) to compete at the festival.

The play portrays the career of national heroine and female General Bùi Thị Xuân, who served the Tây Sơn Dynasty in the late 18th century.

Gen Xuân was born in Bình Khê (now Bình Định Province). She learned martial arts when she was a child. She was reputedly a very brave and strong woman.

She helped the Tây Sơn army train elephants for combat, and became known as one of the five principal women in the Tây Sơn Dynasty.

The Tây Sơn Dynasty (1778-1802) was founded after three Nguyễn brothers - Nguyễn Nhạc, Nguyễn Huệ and Nguyễn Lữ - from the village of Tây Sơn rebelled against the Nguyễn Lords and Trịnh Lords.

The Tây Sơn Dynasty, ruled by Emperor Quang Trung (Nguyễn Huệ) ended the century-long war between the Trịnh and Nguyễn families, ended the Lê Dynasty, and united the country for the first time in 200 years.

Director Lê Nguyên Đạt features female actress Bình Tinh, who has 20 years in the industry, to perform Gen Xuân.

Young actors Nguyễn Minh Trường, Bảo Ngọc and Trọng Nhân are also featured.

“We will offer Vietnamese theatre in the style of the South for our colleagues and audiences in the festival,” said actress Bình Tinh. “I hope our artists will leave a fresh impression on audiences in Cần Thơ.”

Tinh was honoured at the Đào Tấn Awards organised by the National Cultural Promotion and Preservation Research Institute last year.

She was awarded in the individual category for her contribution to preserve tuồng (classical drama), a traditional genre of Vietnamese theatre in the central region that originated in the 12th century.

The Đào Tấn Awards are named after late veteran performer and scriptwriter Đào Tấn of Bình Định Province who is recognised as a guru of tuồng. The annual awards aim to honour and encourage individuals, groups and organisations to preserve and develop tuồng. –VNS