Vo Le Hong

 

Little princess: Television actress Lan Phuong (left) plays the Little Prince, who leaves asteroid B-612 and lands on Earth. — Photo Dragonfly Theatre

(VNS)The Dragonfly Theatre's original adaptation of Antoine de Saint Exupery's novella The Little Prince in English with Vietnamese supertitles was an eye-catching and magical experience for those who attended the play last week in HCM City.

The most devoted fans of Saint-Exupery's classic beloved children's tale will not be disappointed by this new re-interpretation of the famous characters and unforgettable episodes from the novella.

The dialogue was sweet to the ear, especially from Lan Phuong, a well-known actress who played the role of the prince.

The sounds of planes breaking down and taking off in the sandy desert all lent a realistic air to the adaptation by Dragonfly's director Jaime Zuniga, who appeared in three roles, the fox, the lamplighter and the tippler.

Six actors play the role of 10 characters, with Aaron Toronto, the play's co-writer, appearing as the avaitor.

Zuniga burst onto the theatre scene in HCM City last year with his presentation of Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest. The production was warmly received by both the press and public.

Though he now works in logistics, Zuniga has been passionate about theatre for many years, having studied and worked in theatre in his native Nicaragua.

First published in 1943, Saint Exupery's novella has been translated into 210 languages and has sold over 150 million copies. It has inspired musicals, ballets, operas, comics, graphic novels, museums, movies and TV series.

"My wife, my eight-year-old daughter, and I completely enjoyed the entire production. We were surprised and delighted about how excellent both the writing and the acting were," said Wade Brackenbury, a chiropractor living and working in Viet Nam.

"In keeping with the original story, the messages were deep and meaningful for children and adults alike. I was particularly touched by the actress who portrayed the little prince. Her voice and expressions evoked a powerful feeling of other worldliness that was deeply emotional, innocent and delightful all at once. It was a magical evening, and we were glad we attended the opening debut," he said.

The mission of Hong Van Theatre and Dragonfly Theatre Co is to bring professional quality English-language theatre to HCM City and to act as a bridge between the Vietnamese and foreign theatre communities.

Several other performances of the play are planned this month, but have yet to be scheduled. Visit the website www.dragonflyvietnam. com for more information. — VNS