Making history: Trung Nu Vuong (The Heroic Trung Sisters) is part of Toi Yeu Lich Su Viet Nam (I Love Viet Nam's History), an IDECAF theatre production for children. — VNS Photo Thanh Hiep

HCM CITY (VNS) — IDECAF Stage, HCM City's leading drama troupe, is performing a children's play about historic Vietnamese figures every weekend until July 30.

The play, Trung Nu Vuong (The Heroic Trung Sisters), features the Trung sisters, Trung Trac and Trung Nhi, two of the country's most popular heroines who led the Vietnamese in their fight against Chinese rule in 40AD.

Nearly 200 children attended the opening at Tran Cao Van Drama Stage last weekend.

Young audiences were rapt with wonder while veteran and young actors, such as Dinh Toan, Thanh Loc and My Duyen, displayed skills in music, dance, pantomime and circus tricks.

"Costume designers and specialists in sound and light added a realistic element to the play through beautiful clothes, accessories and interior design suited to the play's theme," said the play's director Vu Minh.

Ticket buyers had to stand in long lines at the box office.

Minh is one of the city's young talents who have worked to create a new style on stage by adding attractive features.

"I want children to enter the theatre to enjoy and discover the world and themselves," he said.

Trung Nu Vuong is part of Toi Yeu Lich Su Viet Nam (I Love Viet Nam's History), a theatre programme on Vietnamese history created for children, which IDECAF began late last year.

The programme's artists have offered 80 performances for several thousand students from 63 primary schools around the city, not including disadvantaged children at open houses and shelters who receive tickets for free.

Featured plays Thanh Giong (Saint Giong), Tran Quoc Toan (Young Hero Tran Quoc Toan) and Son Tinh-Thuy Tinh (The God of Mountain and the God of Water) have been restaged many times.

The programme will be launched at primary and secondary schools in Da Nang City during the 2015-16 academic year.

Trung Nu Vuong can be seen at Tran Cao Van Drama Stage, 7 Tran Cao Van Street, District 1, at 8pm every weekend until the end of the month. —VNS