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« on: January 27, 2008, 09:22:18 AM » |
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Ha Noi’ s new “tuong” theatre is offering tourists and locals alike an exciting way to spend an evening. Thu Huong grabs a front-row seat.
[/FONT] Getting to know you “ If I hadn’t come to the “tuong” performance I wouldn’t have known it was different from traditional Chinese opera. But now I know they may share a few similarities but are fundamentally different.” Against the damp cloudy backdrop of winter in Ha Noi, a bright scene springs into life, filling the audience with energy and enthusiasm. This is the stage of the Viet Nam National Tuong Theatre in Ha Noi, where twice a week the country’s colourful past comes back to life with performances of “tuong” (traditional drama). “ Tuong” artists wear white masks and bright traditional dress. They move across the stage in exaggerated but elegant movement, like clown dancers, inviting roars from the crowd at their comoical antics. Surprisingly, this audience is rather sparse. But this isn’t because people don’t like the show – they simply don’t know about it yet, says Pham Ngoc Tuan, the head of the Hong Ha Theatre’s managememt board. “We only started running the tuong pieces about a month ago, so it’s under-standable if people haven’t heard about it.” The performance is in five acts, each one from a traditional “tuong” play. The stories are moral allegories, both hilarious and moving. The play begins with an old man and his beautiful young wife on their way to the spring market. On their journey they are accosted by an imputdent Vietnamese Don juan called Ca Lap, who sets out to ravish the young bride. In a slapstick fight between the two, the old man, fuelled by love, manages to defeat his young adversary. Taking a different tone, the second extract tells the story of a fox, Ho Nguyet Co, who uses a magic pearl to transform into a beautiful woman. The fox girl falls in love with a handsome general but tragedy strickes when he tricks her so he can steal her magic. In addition to “tuong”, the theatre offers a rich array of traditional Vietnamese performance art like “nha nhac” (court music), recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Court music is divided into two parts, “dai nhac” (loud court music) for formal occasions like religious rituals or king’s funerals, and “tieu nhac” (small court music), played for Tet ceremonies. Some of the most famous molodies include Nguyen Tieu, Lien Hoan, Dang Dan Don and Dang Dan Kep. Performances combine colourful costumes, dancing, singing and traditional instruments to create an unmissable display of centuries-old culture. These performances are a nust-see for visitors who wants to learn more about Viet Nam, says Melissa Ween, a visitors from Singapore. “ If I hadn’t come to the “tuong” performance I wouldn’t have known it was different from traditional Chinese opera. But now I know they may share a few similarities but are fundamentally different.” A learning experience or just an entertaining way to brighten up a chilly winter’s evening in the capital, the “tuong” theatre should be on every visitors to-do list in Ha Noi. The Viet Nam Tuong Theatre is at 51 Duong Thanh street. Tuong performances are every Wednesday and Thursday at 5pm. Tickets are VND 50.000 (US$3).
Website: http://www.vietnamtuongtheatre.com |
