HCM CITY – Drama troupes in HCM City are working on the adaptation of classical cải lương (reformed opera) and drama plays, promising to surprise and delight audiences.

Private theatre Trương Hùng Minh has staged a new play, Rồi 30 Năm Sau (30 Years Later), an adaptation of the classical cải lương play of the same name composed by late playwrights Hà Triều and Hoa Phượng, who rose to fame in the 1950s and 1960s.

Both wrote around 60 cải lương plays, including Con Gái Chị Hằng (Ms Hằng’s Daughter) and Nửa Đời Hương Phấn (The Flavour), which have been staged several times by different generations of cải lương stars.

The play, directed by Ngọc Duyên, revolves around the tragedy of a wealthy family in the 1960s, where secrets of a man blinded by love are hidden. Thirty years later, his son unveils the father’s secrets and learns more about his death.

The production features new face Bảo Kun, along with veteran artists such as Meritorious Artist Minh Nhí, Việt Hương and Công Danh.

Production director Minh Nhí said director Ngọc Duyên was brilliant at bringing contemporary colours of drama into the classical cải lương play. The harmony brought fresh breath to the play, while keeping the beauty of the original work.

The 60-year-old actor, who has been involved in theatre since the 1990s, has directed and performed in many plays and TV shows. His latest production, Cuộc Đoàn Tụ Cảm Xúc (An Emotional Reunion), won the best play award at the 5th National Professional Theatre Festival, themed "The Image of the People’s Public Security Officer", held in Hà Nội in July.

Theatre director and critic Thanh Hiệp of the HCM City Theatre’s Association said Rồi 30 Năm Sau was not only a family investigation but also sent a statement about love, forgiveness and strong family values.

He added that the brilliant staging helped the play not feel old and made audiences burst into laughter and tears.

Rồi 30 Năm Sau will be staged at 7:30pm on September 21 and October 11 at 42 Vĩnh Viễn, Phường Lài Ward.

Musical

The Quốc Thảo Drama Theatre has adapted the classical drama Thunderstorm, one of the most popular Chinese dramatic works written by dramatist Cao Yu in 1933, into a musical.

The play, known as Lôi Vũ, was first staged in Việt Nam by director Hoa Hạ in 1988 and quickly became the favourite show of Vietnamese audiences.

Directed by Quốc Thảo, the musical, titled Lôi Vũ - Giai Điệu Tội Lỗi (Thunderstorm – Melody of Crime), follows love, tragedy and crime in a rich family in the 1930s. It reveals the truth obscured by power, morality, and desire.

The play features young actors such as Mộc Anh, Minh Huy, Thành Hưng, and Mỹ Thanh.

Thảo said the young cast is expected to bring a freshness to a classical work, and added that the adaptation also helps audiences easily engage with the play.

The performance will begin at 7:30pm on September 27 at 70-72 Nguyễn Văn Trỗi Street, Phú Nhuận Ward. — VNS