Two-act plays in a southern style Produced by Long An Province Radio & Television will be part of a new drama show this year. — Photo courtesy of the producer

LONG AN — The Long An Province Radio & Television has worked with its partner, the An Group, to produce a new TV drama programme about Vietnamese culture and lifestyle. 

The programme will feature 100 two-act plays written by the late musician and author Bắc Sơn, one of the region’s leading artists in music, theatre and movies in the 1980s and 90s. 

Its plays will portray southern people and their culture. The lifestyle and characters of farmers living in Cửu Long (Mekong) River Delta provinces will also be highlighted. 

Dozens of theatre performers in drama, cải lương (reformed opera) and tuồng (classical drama) wil be featured. 

The first two plays, Đêm Dài Như Biển (Long Night as the Sea) and Con Dế Mèn (Cricket), starring veteran drama actresses Tú Trinh and Bích Thuỷ, will air in December.

The next plays will attract cải lương stars such as People’s Artist Bạch Tuyết and People’s Artist Ngọc Giàu. Young talents Nghi Tâm and Bình Chinh will also be included. 

“We’re happy to produce and release these dramas in a southern style for audiences,” said theatre actress-singer Bích Thuỷ, one of the show’s producers. 

“Our plays are written and based on songs and short stories by Sơn, who featured the beauty of southern culture through his art. Our actors will try their best to bring the art closer to people.” 

According to Thuỷ, Vietnamese drama theatre is staged in two styles of the north and the south, and both styles are very different. 

“We will offer quality shows with truly southern dramas, combined with comedy and romance,” said Thuỷ, a daughter of artist Sơn. 

Musician and author Sơn (whose real name Trương Văn Khuê) was born in 1931 in Đồng Nai Province. 

He began his writing career in 1952 when he was a teacher. In 1977, he became familiar with folk tunes that feature his love for the south.  

He later lived in HCM City and worked as a musican, theatre actor and scriptwriter. 

Sơn wrote more than 500 songs, most of them in praise of southern people and their culture. His songs have been performed by pop stars such as Cẩm Vân and Cẩm Ly. 

He wrote 180 scripts for TV, theatre and movies. He performed in 60 films and TV series. 

He died in 2005. 

The new TV drama programme produced by Long An Province Radio &Television will air on the provincial stations of Long An, Tiền Giang and Bình Phước. — VNS