A scene in the show 'Bí Ẩn Triều Đại Phép Thuật' (The Secret of the Magical Dynasty). — Photos courtesy of the Việt Nam National Traditional Theatre

HÀ NỘI — A special variety show by artists from the three 'pillars' of Vietnamese traditional performance arts – tuồng-chèo-cải lương – will be staged together for the first time in Hà Nội.

The show themed Bí Ẩn Triều Đại Phép Thuật (The Secret of the Magical Dynasty) will debut at Hồng Hà Theatre on Đường Thành Street, on Saturdays from May 30 to June 20, with the biggest goal to target young audiences and children.

More than just an artistic performance, the show is a 'bold experiment' of young Vietnamese artists on traditional stages to pilot a cultural industry model combining the three renown arts of tuồng (classical drama), chèo (folk opera) and cải lương (reformed opera), experts have said.

A poster with information about the show.

Bùi Yến Linh, head of the organising board of the variety show, said the project aims to raise public awareness of traditional stages, helping people understand the differences between tuồng, chèo and cải lương, thereby showcasing the diverse beauty of Việt Nam's theatrical heritage.

“The programme is designed as a bridge between the past and present, aiming for a creative performance space that suits contemporary tastes," Linh told Hà Nội Mới (New Hà Nội) newspaper.

"It's also an experiment to open up new directions for traditional theatre, making it more flexible and accessible to the public while still preserving the core spirit of national art.”

Transcending boundaries once thought impossible to reconcile, the programme is not merely a meeting point, but also a milestone marking the transformation of traditional theatre in Việt Nam. Rather than contemporary art, it is created entirely from the cultural essence of Việt Nam, allowing international audiences to witness the country’s most authentic and original beauty, according to the organisers.

A scene from the show which is produced to preserve traditional values of tuồng, chèo and cải lương. — VNS screen shot

The project will follow a multi-sensory experience model previously piloted in the programme themed Dấu thiêng Hà Nội 2024 (Hà Nội Sacred Traces 2024) within the framework of the Hà Nội Creative Design Festival.

As it's popular, the team saw potential in developing traditional theatrical art products to grow the cultural industry and experiential tourism.

"Cultural industry development" is the most compelling keyword of the Politburo's Resolution 80, issued on January 7 this year.

The resolution stresses building cultural industries on the foundation of national culture, viewing culture as both a spiritual and material resource – one that contributes to national prosperity, enriches the intellect and soul of the Vietnamese people and improves material life.

By 2030, cultural industries are expected to contribute 7 per cent of GDP, while cultural industries and the creative economy are projected to account for 9 per cent of GDP by 2045, becoming pillars of sustainable development.

Instead of relying entirely on dialogue, which faces many limitations when reaching international audiences due to the unique characteristics of the ancient language, the variety show programme is oriented towards enhancing visual elements, music and multi-sensory experiences, Linh said.

A typical scene from the ancient traditional stage will appear in the show. — VNS screen shot

Meritorious Artist Lộc Huyền, director of the performances, said the convergence of tuồng, chèo and cải lương on Hồng Hà Theatre stage is a "moving moment", as the finest examples of Vietnamese traditional theatre "raised their voices" for the national heritage.

According to the artist, this is a beautiful milestone for the combination, honouring, and continuation of traditional art values ​​in contemporary life.

Bí Ẩn Triều Đại Phép Thuật is the first season in the variety show series produced by the Vietnamese Traditional Stage – a 'community brand' for young people, under the Việt Nam National Traditional Theatre.

The concept of a 'variety show' was developed by the production team as a comprehensive performance stage, featuring various art forms appearing together in one performance space.

For the first season, tuồng, chèo and cải lương have been chosen as the three main elements to create a continuous 'artistic journey', preserving traditional values ​​while opening up new approaches for contemporary audiences, according to the producers.

The show leads the audience into a world that is both mysterious and colourful, where magic becomes the gateway to secrets.

In the show, three traditional theatrical art forms will be integrated into this journey through representative excerpts. An excerpt of tuồng will showcase the tragic and fantastical atmosphere of the whole play through the performances by Mạnh Linh, Trọng Văn, Đình Thuận, Thế Bản and Ngọc Quân.

In addition to stage excerpts, the programme also features a musical performance composed by Meritorious Artist Lê Trần Vinh, with the participation of a live orchestra and dancers from the Việt Nam National Traditional Theatre.

It was launched against the backdrop of the Việt Nam National Traditional Theatre being established after merging three units: the Việt Nam Chèo Theatre, the Việt Nam Cải Lương Theatre and the Việt Nam Tuồng Theatre.

Bringing three art forms with distinct expressive languages, rhythms and storytelling styles on one stage is considered a major challenge.

However, for the production team, this was also an opportunity to create a new theatrical model.

The choice to launch on International Children's Day 2026 (June 1) shows a desire to bring traditional art to the younger generation through more accessible lenses, at the same time opens up a greater aspiration among the artists to create a cultural industry model for Vietnamese traditional theatre in the future, according to organisers. — VNS