ANCIENT ART - Young and veteran artists from the private MinhTơ Tuồng Troupe are helping to preserve and develop tuồng, a traditional genre of Vietnamese theatre which began in the 12th century. Photo courtesy of the theatre.

By Thu Anh

The Minh Tơ Tuồng Troupe in HCM City has returned with a series of new performances of tuồng or hát bội (classical drama), a Vietnamese traditional theatrical genre that originated in the 12th century.

The troupe will stage new versions of famous classic plays featuring Vietnamese historical events and national heroes.

Themes of monarchist loyalty and patriotism will be highlighted.

The shows will introduce a unique style of tuồng, a special theatrical genre that originated in central and south Việt Nam. Tuồng play consists of singing and dancing accompanied by music, which are highly stylised, conventional and imbued with symbolism.

Veteran artists Võ Minh Lâm, Điền Trung and Tú Sương are working with young talents such as Chí Bảo and Nhã Thi to offer quality shows meeting the taste of young audiences.

Aside from performing, the artists will also speak to the audiences in question and answer sessions.

ROYAL TALE: Meritorious Artist Tú Sương (left) performs in 'Tô Hiến Thành Xử Án' (Tô Hiến Thành Hear a Case), a production that tells the story of a royal tragedy happening during the reign of King Lý Anh Tông, the sixth emperor of the Lý Dynasty. Photo courtesy of the theatre.

“We want to help young talents develop their career, while bringing tuồng closer to young audiences,” said actor Công Minh, one of the troupe’s founders.

The first show, Tô Hiến Thành Xử Án (Tô Hiến Thành Hears a Case), released during the five-day Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday last month, attracted more than 1,200 fans.

The play tells the story of a royal tragedy that happened during the reign of King Lý Anh Tông ( from 1136-1175), the sixth emperor of the Lý Dynasty.

The career of Tô Hiến Thành, the top mandarin in the royal court of King Lý Anh Tông and an army commander who served King Lý Cao Tông, the seventh emperor of the Lý Dynasty, is also highlighted.

The play featured veteran actor Điền Trung as Tô Hiến Thành. Meritorious Artist and actress Tú Sương also performed.

REACHING THE YOUTH: The HCM City-based Minh Tơ Tuồng Troupe will offer a series of new performances of tuồng or hát bội (classical drama), a Vietnamese traditional theatrical genre that originated in the 12th century. Its plays feature Vietnamese history and are targeted at youngsters. Photo courtesy of the theatre.

“We hope each of our shows is a movie, with images, sounds and music, that provides young audiences with useful insights into the country's history, culture and theatre,” said the play’s director Lê Nguyên Đạt.

The Minh Tơ Tuồng Troupe is composed of 20 celebrated actors, mostly graduates of leading art schools in the region. The troupe offers performances every Sunday at the Trần Hữu Trang Theatre, 136Đ Trần Hưng Đạo Street in District 1.

The troupe is working with radio and television stations in the city and southern provinces to produce and release shows and programmes featuring tuồng. VNS