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| A scene in the musical The Fisherman at the Bottom of the Teacup by French-Vietnamese director Olivier Dhénin Hữu. — VNA/VNS Photo |
PARIS – Three unique plays and musicals based on Vietnamese mythology and history have been presented to the French public to mark the half-century France-Việt Nam diplomatic relations and the 50th anniversary of the end of the war in Việt Nam.
The two musicals, titled Con Rồng Vàng (The Golden Dragon) and Người Đánh Cá Trong Tách Trà (The Fisherman at the Bottom of the Teacup), are based on ancient Vietnamese legends. They are resulted from the collaboration between the French-Vietnamese playwright, poet and director Olivier Dhénin Hữu and the talented composer Benjamin Attahir.
The Golden Dragon tells the story of a Chinese man who came to Annam in search of a Golden Dragon at the bottom of a lake, believing that if he could place his father’s bones in the dragon’s mouth, he would become king.
A young fisherman accepts this mission but substitutes the bones for his own father’s bones in the dragon’s mouth instead of the Chinese man’s. This fisherman later becomes Emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng.
The Fisherman at the Bottom of the Teacup is the tragic story of Trương Chi, an ugly fisherman with an enchanting voice who charms Princess Mỵ Nương. However, when they meet, the princess is terrified of his appearance. Heartbroken, Trương Chi dies and transforms into a pearl. When this pearl is carved into the shape of a teacup and given to the princess, the image of the fisherman appears with his sweet voice. Moved and repentant, Mỵ Nương sheds tears into the cup, making it disappear and thus freeing Trương Chi’s soul.
Olivier Dhénin Hữu was inspired by traditional Vietnamese theatre, particularly hát bội (Vietnamese Opera) and cải lương (reformed theatre). He also drew on Eastern performing arts that influenced Western directors such as Edward Gordon Craig, Antonin Artaud and Bertolt Brecht.
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| A scene in the musical The Golden Dragon by French-Vietnamese director Olivier Dhénin Hữu. — VNA/VNS Photo |
The original play Partition Vietnamienne (A divided Vietnamese) is a historical story about the division of the country, the fragmentation of Vietnamese memory, culture, and identity – especially for Vietnamese expats and their descendants.
The play tells the story of Antonin, researching his family history through scattered fragments: old photographs, his grandmother’s stories, pages from history books and more. He attempts to piece these fragments together to form a complete picture of his origins and identity.
Director Olivier Dhénin Hữu said he was emotional seeing audience’s reaction:
“When I saw the viewers shed tears, or came to shake my hand and tell me they can see themselves in my story, I felt like I did the right thing,” Olivier said.
“Many Vietnamese expats told me they can see their story on my stage. This means a lot to me.” VNS
Read original story on Vietnam News