GOLDEN DESTINY: Bắc Ninh Province’s chèo play 'Thiên Mệnh' (Heaven’s Mandate), a new work written by Mai Văn Lạng, won the Gold Medal at the festival. Photo courtesy of the organisers

BẮC NINH Two new chèo plays claimed top honours at the National Chèo Festival -- the two-week event brought together nearly 1,000 artists from 12 troupes nationwide, who performed 25 new productions.

Thiên Mệnh (Heaven’s Mandate) by the Bắc Ninh Chèo Troupe and Nguyễn Văn Cừ -- Tuổi trẻ chí lớn (Nguyễn Văn Cừ -- The Youth with Lofty Ideal) by the Military Chèo Troupe shared the festival’s highest prize.

Speaking at the awards gala, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tạ Quang Đông said: “We are delighted to see in each play, each role, that the art of chèo is going through profound changes. There have been new discoveries and creativity in directing, music and costumes, with a fine blend between traditional and contemporary chèo. Those efforts prove the reforming spirit that chèo artists bring, yet the traditional soul of the art remains intact.”

A national artistic event held every three years, the Chèo Festival honours the traditional value of the art form and provides an opportunity for exchange among troupes across the country.

This year’s festival covered a wide range of themes — historical, folkloric and contemporary — all performed through popular chèo melodies and new lyrics by talented writers. It reflected the performers’ deep love for chèo, a traditional stage art often performed in northern communal houses.

“Integrated while preserving the soul of chèo, is the common path for our traditional art to grow and continue to be part of today’s contemporary world,” Đông said. “It is also an opportunity to discover new talents who will in turn meet the expectations of audiences watching chèo plays.”

GOLDEN HONOURS: Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Tạ Quang Đông (1st left) and Vice Chair of Bắc Ninh People's Committee Trần Thị Hằng present the festival’s Gold Medals to the representatives of the Bắc Ninh Chèo Troupe (2nd left) and the Military Chèo Troupe (2nd right). Photo courtesy of the organisers

Honouring the classics

Heaven's Mandate, with a script by Hoàng Thanh Du, directed by People’s Artist Tạ Quang Lẫm and music by Đặng Tiến Mạnh, won the Gold Medal.

Set in the early years of the Trần dynasty in the 11th century, the play portrays Royal Teacher Trần Thủ Độ, a historic figure of remarkable foresight who valued talented people and was ready to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the country.

Heaven's Mandate recreates a chaotic period when the Lý dynasty was losing power. Trần Thủ Độ emerged as the strategist who orchestrated pivotal changes, opening a glorious era for the Trần dynasty that lasted two hundred years. The play also highlights Trần Thủ Độ’s role not only as a founding father of the dynasty but as the architect of policies that brought peace and stability to the people.

It depicts how Trần Thủ Độ, driven by national unity, trusted a former rival in the clan for the higher cause of the nation -- a decision that later enabled Trần Quốc Tuấn to become one of Vietnam’s greatest generals, defeating the Yuan-Mongol invaders three times. He was honoured with the title Hưng Đạo Đại Vương (The Great General).

Director Tạ Quang Lẫm of the Bắc Ninh Chèo Troupe said Heaven's Mandate recalls the Đông A spirit -- the Trần dynasty's symbol of national unity that empowered the country to repel foreign invaders. "Though an artistic work, the play conveys that a country’s laws should be respected and not broken without reason, he said. "It is not only a theatrical performance but also a valuable lesson for generations to come."

REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT: 'Nguyễn Văn Cừ -- The Youth with Lofty Ideal' by the Military Chèo Troupe, which tells the life story of revolutionary Nguyễn Văn Cừ, won the Gold Medal at the festival. Photo courtesy of the organisers

Revolution on stage

The co-winner, "Nguyễn Văn Cừ -- The Youth with Lofty Ideal", recreated key episodes from the revolutionary life of Nguyễn Văn Cừ, who studied at the French Protectorate School, formed an opposition league there, was expelled, and returned to his home village before leading miners’ revolts at Mạo Khê Coal Mine in Quảng Ninh Province. He later became Communist Party Secretary and was arrested and jailed by the French.

Written by Lê Thế Song, the play was directed by People’s Artist Vũ Tự Long, who incorporated not only traditional chèo tunes but also quan họ folkloric melodies to convey the play’s message. Artistically demanding due to the wide variety of songs and tunes used, the play was challenging, as its themes were heavily loaded with revolutionary ideas not traditionally expressed in chèo.

Over two months, the cast, mostly very young, successfully conveyed these ideas through familiar chèo and quan họ melodies.

“The artists are very young, yet they felt the love for chèo and the need to carry on the revolutionary spirit, said Tự Long. “Their dedication and discipline mirror the resilience of our predecessors, and in doing so, they discovered their own respect and commitment to the art.”

TOP PERFORMERS: Emeritus Artist Quốc Phòng (second left) of the Hà Nội Chèo Troupe and Emeritus Artist Quỳnh Mai of the Bắc Ninh Chèo Troupe won Best Artists.

Preserving the spirit

The festival concluded with hundreds of gold and silver medals awarded to the artists. It also featured an open forum on the challenges facing traditional performing arts in a new era of integration, digital transformation and evolving public tastes.

Concluding his speech, Deputy Minister Đông said that, building on the success of this festival, “the art of chèo maintains its allure for the public with professionalism and continues to be the voice of the soul of Vietnamese people today.”

According to chèo scriptwriter Chu Thơm, plays with contemporary themes this year rivalled historical works, showing that modern social issues in chèo are increasingly capturing the interest of writers determined not to be left behind in a fast-changing world. VNS