A scene in Bedtime Story by artists from the Hà Nội Academy of Theatre and Cinema. Photo baovanhoa.vn

HÀ NỘI — The Hà Nội Academy of Theatre and Cinema will present its production Bedtime Story at the Incheon Multilingual Theatre Festival in South Korea.

The play will compete on September 13 at Hak San Theatre in Incheon. Bedtime Story is a play by South Korean playwright Byounghwa Kim, directed by Dương Thị Thanh Huyền.

It follows two young people who grow up under the close protection of their parents, but the stories told by adults gradually isolate them from the outside world. Through their experiences, the production explores questions of love, parenting and each person’s right to discover the world for themselves.

Set in modern-day Seoul, the production features a door woven from ropes with two contrasting sides – one bright and one dark. The door constantly rotates, opening into different spaces, from homes and supermarkets to streets and the characters’ turbulent inner worlds.

The production features Nguyễn Thị Minh Trà as Si Hyun, Lê Hiền Anh as Jisoo, and Nguyễn Hoàng Tùng as the father and mother. Their performances help portray the relationships, conflicts and psychological changes of the characters throughout the play.

Trà recently won the Best Performer award for her portrayal of Eliza Doolittle in Pygmalion at the 8th Asian Theatre Schools Festival, held in Beijing, China, in May 2026.

With its symbolic approach, Bedtime Story conveys the message that the most frightening thing is not the world outside, but spending a lifetime confined to a world created by others.

“The work explores the central theme of confinement,” said director Huyền.

“Rather than being locked away in physical prisons, the characters are trapped by the stories imposed on them by adults.”

Taking part in the Incheon Multilingual Theatre Festival gives the academy an opportunity to introduce its theatre training, creative work and performance practice to international audiences.

The festival also provides an opportunity for the academy’s artists, lecturers and students to exchange ideas and learn from different approaches to directing and performance, while exploring new forms of contemporary theatre. It also helps connect training with professional practice by bringing the academy’s artistic works to professional stages.

Through such activities, the academy aims to gradually expand international partnerships, promote Vietnamese theatre and strengthen cultural ties between Việt Nam and South Korea.

The festival features numerous international theatre companies from South Korea, Japan, Singapore, China, Việt Nam and Hong Kong (China), among others. — VNS