HÀ NỘI The National Chèo Festival will open today at the Conference Centre in the northern province of Bắc Giang with the participation of about 1,000 artists. 

The artists from 16 troupes will perform 26 chèo (popular opera) plays with classic and modern themes. 

Việt Nam Chèo Theatre has two plays to be performed at the festival including Vân Dại (Crazy Vân) and Rồng Phượng (Phoenix Dragon). 

"One is classic and the other is modern theme which will surprise not only the audience but also our colleagues," said director Nguyễn Thị Bích Ngoan. 

"Noteworthy, the two plays will feature young talents who are successors of the theatre's artist generation."

Artists from Hà Nội Chèo Theatre will perform Kiều Loan and Điều Còn Lại (Thing Remains). 

"We are sure that the modern story will be performed with traditional chèo art characteristics," said artist Nguyễn Thị Thu Huyền, the theatre's deputy director. 

"It depends on many factors such as the script, the director and the artists because staging chèo is different from other genres."

The national festival is also a good chance for the professions to promote the development of chèo. 

Most of the troupes at the festival had to pay their own way to take part in the festival.

Two plays by Bắc Giang Chèo Theatre are also modern themed entitled Gọi Đò (Boat Song) and Người Con Gái Kinh Bắc (Girl From Kinh Bac Land). 

"After many days of rehearsing we are excited to welcome the festival opening," said artist Trần Đức Tường from Bắc Giang theatre. He will act in both plays. 

"The festival is a chance for us to popularise traditional art."

The highlight of the festival is the diversity of the performances. However, the plays have to meet some requirements such as not using foreign scripts and must be staged from 2016 to the present. 

The best plays and the best artists will be awarded gold and silver medals at the closing ceremony. VNS