Viet Nam News
HCM CITY – The historical play Thai Hau Duong Van Nga (Queen Mother Duong Van Nga) by famous scriptwriters Hoa Phuong and Chi Lang will be restaged in a new version to celebrate 100 years of cai luong (reformed opera).
The 120-minute play portrays the life of Duong Van Nga, who served as Queen Regent of the Dinh Dynasty after her husband, Dinh Tien Hoang, was assassinated in 979 and when her son was six years old.
She later decided to cede the Dinh Dynasty’s throne to General Le Hoan in 980 in order to defend the country before the invasion of members of the Song Dynasty. Le Hoan led his army to win the Song invasion in 981.
Le Hoan later became the first emperor of the Early Le Dynasty, named Le Dai Hanh.
He gave Nga the title of empress Dai Thang Minh. Nga was the first queen in Viet Nam who had married to two emperors. Nga died in 1000.
Today, Emperor Le Dai Hanh and Nga are worshipped in the Temple of Le Dai Hanh in Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel, now Hoa Lu District in Ninh Binh Province.
The temple is located next to the tomb of Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang, Nga’s first husband.
Nga’s life has received mixed opinions from people of different generations.
She is an endless source of passion for many authors and artists, and appears in many paintings, novels and plays of cheo (traditional opera) and cai luong.
The cai luong play Thai Hau Duong Van Nga was first staged in HCM City in 1978, starring actress Thanh Nga as Queen Mother Duong Van Nga.
The play has been restaged many times with cai luong stars, such as People’s Artists Bach Tuyet and Ngoc Giau, as Nga.
This year, the new version, Thai Hau Duong Van Nga, is directed by Meritorious Hoa Ha, who has more than 40 years of experience in the theatre.
It features Meritorious Artists Phuong Loan and Kim Ngan as Nga, and veteran actors Le Tu, Dien Trung and Hong To. Young actors Gia Bao and Thanh Thao are also included.
The play’s director Ha and her staff, including theatre composer Thai An and theatre producer Kim Ngan, worked hard to rewrite and direct the play in its new version.
“Thai Hau Duong Van Nga and its spirit are remembered by theatre lovers of different generations,” she said.
“I wanted to make the play’s new version meet the demands of young audiences,” said Ha in a recent interview with Nguoi Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper of HCM City before launching her production next month.
Ha invited pop stars Phuong Thanh to play a supporting role. “I want to bring a fresh wind to cai luong, an old and unique genre of southern theatre which began 100 years ago,” said the 61-year-old.
The director asked her young staff, including singer Thanh, to work hard on their singing and acting skills to portray the spirit of cai luong.
"I hope my play will offer a taste of what cai luong is like," she said.
Ha and her partner spent more than VND800 million (US$ 35,000) on the production.
Her play will be staged two nights, May 6 and 13, at Ben Thanh Theatre on 6 Mac Dinh Chi Street in District 1. Tickets are VND200,000 ($9) and VND100,000 ($4.5) for students, and are available at the theatre’s box office.—VNS