People's Artist Nguyễn Thu Huyền, director of Hà Nội Chèo Theatre. Photo eva.vn

Hà Nội Chèo Theatre’s Đạo Học (The Way of Learning) won a gold medal at the Hà Nội Open Theatre Festival 2026. Its director, People’s Artist Nguyễn Thu Huyền, discusses efforts to preserve traditional theatre, engage contemporary audiences and contribute to the capital’s cultural industries.

Hà Nội Chèo Theatre’s Đạo Học (The Way of Learning) won a gold medal at the Hà Nội Open Theatre Festival. Could you tell us more about the production and the ideas it explores?

The Hà Nội Open Theatre Festival is a major cultural and artistic event that celebrates theatrical heritage, assesses the development of the performing arts and explores new directions to better meet the public’s growing demand for artistic experiences.

We welcome opportunities to exchange ideas and share professional experience with arts troupes and artists from within and beyond Hà Nội, while contributing to the development of the capital’s theatre scene.

Written by Bùi Vũ Minh and directed by People’s Artist Trịnh Thúy Mùi, the chèo (popular opera) production Đạo Học follows Confucian scholar Chu Văn An’s journey from opening a school to becoming a senior educator at Quốc Tử Giám (Imperial Academy), Việt Nam’s first university.

The production was staged ahead of the 950th anniversary of Quốc Tử Giám in 2026, celebrating Việt Nam’s tradition of valuing education and respecting teachers.

We see it as the theatre’s responsibility to preserve and promote Hà Nội’s cultural values and introduce the city’s cultural heritage to wider audiences.

Through the production, we aim to retell a historical story through chèo, highlighting Chu Văn An’s integrity, spirit and dedication. He devoted his life to imparting knowledge, upholding moral values and shaping human character.

The work’s reflections on the responsibility of educated people towards their communities and country also make it relevant to contemporary life.

How does the production resonate with audiences today?

The production not only tells the story of Chu Văn An’s life but also explores his concerns as he watches his students become caught up in ambition and material gain, turning away from moral values.

It prompts reflection on the relationship between knowledge and morality, and between education and social responsibility.

We have invested considerable effort in the production, bringing together a creative team, performers and a traditional orchestra.

We hope the work will offer an artistic perspective on the enduring values of respecting teachers, honouring talent and upholding personal integrity in contemporary life.

How does your theatre work to preserve and promote traditional theatre?

Alongside established artists, the theatre places great importance on nurturing the next generation, giving young performers opportunities to take part in new productions, take on new roles and gain professional experience.

This is also a way to ensure that chèo continues to evolve and meet the diverse artistic tastes of audiences.

How to make chèo more accessible to younger audiences is a question we are constantly thinking about. We have developed programmes with content and presentation styles tailored to young audiences, while bringing chèo to schools across Hà Nội and strengthening engagement with school and university students.

The theatre’s high-quality productions under its Hà Nội-branded programme, such as Nét Duyên Chèo Hà Thành (The Charm of Hà Nội Chèo), along with performances selected to appeal to younger audiences, have attracted their interest.

Encouragingly, many young people are now actively seeking out traditional chèo performances, demonstrating the enduring appeal of Việt Nam’s traditional arts.

As Hà Nội steps up efforts to develop its cultural industries, how does Hà Nội Chèo Theatre plan to promote the value of traditional arts?

Cultural industries are not just about producing profitable entertainment but also about creatively harnessing cultural resources and transforming heritage into products with artistic and educational value.

For chèo, the key is to preserve its traditional essence while finding ways to make performances appealing to contemporary audiences.

We hope the Hà Nội Open Theatre Festival will continue to provide a platform for theatres and arts troupes to exchange ideas and share experience, reaffirm the value of theatre and bring the arts closer to the public.

In doing so, each production and artist can help promote the cultural identity of the capital and contribute to the development of Hà Nội’s cultural industries. — VNS