Four cải lương (reformed opera) from HCM City, Hà Nội and Tây Ninh Province win the first prizes at the 2026 National Trần Hữu Trang Talented Cải Lương Artist Contest in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre

HCM CITY — Four cải lương (reformed opera) from HCM City, Hà Nội and Tây Ninh Province won the first prizes at the 2026 National Trần Hữu Trang Talented Cải Lương Artist Contest, which was closed in HCM City on Saturday night.

The winners are Trương Trọng Nhân of the Huỳnh Long Cải Lương Tuồng Cổ Troupe, one of the leading traditional art troupes in HCM City; Bích Trâm of the city-based private troupe Vũ Luân Entertainment; Lê Hoàng Nghi of the Tây Ninh Province’s Vàm Cỏ Cải Lương Troupe; and Ngân Hà of the Việt Nam National Traditional Art Theatre.

The 22-year-old Nhân, who is the youngest contestant, impressed the judges and audiences with an excerpt from Diễn Kịch Một Mình (Solo Performance), one of the famous monodramas written by late scriptwriter Lê Duy Hạnh, one of the South’s leading contemporary theatre artists.

Throughout his performance, Nhân played various roles, from a lonely artist to a king or a courtier.

Diễn Kịch Một Mình was first performed in 1992 by People’s Artist Bạch Tuyết, a cải lương guru, and has since been performed by several talented performers.

Actor Trương Trọng Nhân of the Huỳnh Long Cải Lương Tuồng Cổ Troupe of HCM City in an excerpt from Diễn Kịch Một Mình (Solo Performance), one of the famous monodramas written by late scriptwriter Lê Duy Hạnh. — Photo courtesy of the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre

Nghi of Vàm Cỏ Troupe, one of the leading troupes in Cửu Long (Mekong) Delta, captivated the audiences with his strong voice and skills as playing Herostratus, a Greek arsonist who burned down the Temple of Artemis to achieve infamy, in an excerpt of a play titled Kẻ Đốt Đền (The Arsonist).

The play is adapted into cải lương by Nguyễn Thiên Đăng based on the highly acclaimed 1972 philosophical tragicomedy Forget Herostratus! written by the renowned Russian playwright Grigori Gorin.

Actress Bích Trâm left an impression with her role in an excerpt from the play Lôi Vũ, adapted into cải lương by playwright Quốc Khánh based on the Chinese classical drama Thunderstorm by dramatist Cao Yu. The play was staged by the Vũ Luân Entertainment in April.

Meanwhile, Ngân Hà expressed the inner life of the character Macbeth in an excerpt from the play Tùy Hứng Phu Nhân Macbeth (Unpredictable Lady Macbeth) written by director Triệu Trung Kiên.

The organisers also granted second prizes to 12 talented artists from across the country.

Addressing the award ceremony at the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre, People’s Artist Trần Ngọc Giàu, chairman of the HCM City Theatrical Association and head of the jury, said the contestants not only maintained the standards of traditional cải lương but also brought new ideas to singing, acting and exploring character psychology.

He emphasised that many performances were well-prepared, while young actors showed impressive breakthroughs.

He added that the passion for the art is still ongoing in the next generation.

Actress Ngân Hà of the Việt Nam National Traditional Art Theatre plays the character Macbeth in an excerpt from the play Tùy Hứng Phu Nhân Macbeth (Unpredictable Lady Macbeth) written by director Triệu Trung Kiên. — Photo courtesy of the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre

The 2026 National Talented Cải Lương Artist Contest was organised by the Department of Performing Arts under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the HCM City Department of Culture and Sports, and the Việt Nam Theatrical Artists’ Association.

It attracted 36 professional artists from 12 leading state-owned and private theatres and traditional art troupes in Hà Nội, HCM City, and the provinces of Thanh Hóa, Hải Phòng, Ninh Bình, Tây Ninh, Cần Thơ and Cà Mau.

The contestants presented 35 solo performances and excerpts from both well-known and newly released cải lương plays reflecting the country’s history, patriotism, today’s social issues, and love, from May 18-22 at the Trần Hữu Trang Cải Lương Theatre.

People’s Artist Trịnh Thúy Mùi, chairwoman of the Việt Nam Theatrical Artists’ Association, said that the cải lương talents from the contest would continue to shine in the future, becoming the next force contributing to preserving and promoting national cultural identity through traditional theatre arts. — VNS