HÀ NỘI — The Việt Nam Youth Theatre will perform a series of plays in Hà Nội between April 5 - 10 to mark the 40^th anniversary of its establishment. The opening performance of the five day extravaganza will be the play Ai Là Thủ Phạm (Who is the Culprit).  

Written by the late playwright Lưu Quang Vũ, Ai Là Thủ Phạm brings to life the day-to-day experiences of families living in Hà Nội during the subsidy period of the 1980’s. The play deals with the generational differences of its characters, highlighting each generation’s approaches to social evils like corruption and moral depravity.

Director Chí Trung has successfully recreated the subsidy-era characters on stage for the audience to experience. The play will be performed by prominent artists such as Lê Khanh, Minh Hằng and Đức Khuê – all of whom hail from the first generation of contemporary Vietnamese theatre.

"The Youth Theatre is the only one to perform for young audiences in Việt Nam," said Chí Trung, who is also the theatre director. "The Youth Theatre is a go-to destination for young art lovers.”

"The theatre will continue its mission to make good use of traditional culture to develop its performances. In the future the theatre will produce works in Broadway form. Additionally, the theatre will continue its music and theatre productions for young audiences."

Established in 1978, the Youth Theatre has not only performed in Việt Nam but also co-operates with art troupes in countries such as Japan and Germany. It is currently a member of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People (ASSITEJ).

The theatre artists will perform the best from Đời Cười (Laughing Life), a comedy series that has attracted large audiences since its debut in 2001, as well as a music show on April 6 & 7 at the Hà Nội Opera House.

On top of this, a street carnival will kick off at 10am on April 8 in the walking streets around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, giving the public a chance to watch performers parade in festive costumes. The day will be marked by two shows, including an open-door music show starting at 8pm at the Lý Thái Tổ Statue on Đinh Tiên Hoàng Street, and a performance of The Caucasian Chalk Circle at the Hà Nội Opera House.

The The Caucasian Chalk Circle will be staged by German Dominik Guenther as part of an ongoing co-operation project between the Youth Theatre and Goethe Institute.

A meeting of established and emerging artists who have worked at the theatre during its 40-year lifetime will be held on April 9 at the Hà Nội Opera House.

Located at 11 Ngô Thì Nhậm Street, Hai Bà Trưng District, the 500-seat Việt Nam Youth Theatre is among the rare State-owned theatre spaces in the capital city to perform three last days a week. — VNS