The 6th International Experimental Theatre Festival (2025) is organized by the Vietnam Association of Theatre Artists from November 15-30, taking place across four provinces and cities of Hanoi, Ninh Binh, HCMC, and Hai Phong.
The HCMC theatre community has brought a diverse lineup to the festival, including:
- the musical ‘Ao Quan’ (Mirage), written and directed by Chinh Ba under the artistic direction of People’s Artist My Uyen from Small Theatre No.5B;
- the Cai Luong production ‘Hon Tho Ngoc’ (Soul of Jade Poetry) by author Le Duy Hanh, directed by Meritorious Artist Le Nguyen Dat from the World of Youth Experimental Theatre;
- the play ‘Son Ha’ (Mountains and Rivers), also by Le Duy Hanh and directed by Meritorious Artist Le Nguyen Dat for Sen Viet Stage;
- ‘Nguyet Ha’ (Under the Moon), penned by Le Duy Hanh, directed by People’s Artist Hong Van with artistic consultation from People’s Artist Tran Ngoc Giau for Hong Van Drama Stage;
- ‘Con Hong Thuy’ (The Deluge) by Meritorious Teacher Nguyen Van Phuc, directed by Nguyen Thanh Thuong from the Stage-Cinema Association of the HCMC Theatre Association;
- ‘Chuyen Cua Na’ (The Story of Na), written and directed by Khanh Hong for Hero Film Entertainment.
Every production carries its own unique signature. ‘Ao Quan’ breaks the mold with a live band and a performance style that melds stage acting with cinema. ‘Hon Tho Ngoc’ captivates with a powerful ensemble of young artists, strong vocal harmonies, and stunning artistic visuals, combining music with the performance techniques of Cai Luong and Hat Boi (classical opera).
‘Con Hong Thuy’ delivers a surprise with a revolving stage. ‘Nguyet Ha’ integrates LED screens, English vocals, and dialogues between modern characters and figures from classical Tuong theatre. Meanwhile, ‘Son Ha’ is staged as a monodrama, where the soundscape blends traditional ethnic instruments with Western ones, and the lighting design fuses LED screens, gauze projection, and laser lights to evoke emotion and aesthetic beauty for the audience.
Speaking after the premiere of ‘Son Ha’, Director and Meritorious Artist Le Nguyen Dat shared: “When experimenting with historical drama infused with modern colors, which combines elements like cinema and performance technology, we want to gauge the emotions and assessments of the audience, especially young people. From there, we can determine if these experiments are appropriate and if they truly elevate the quality of the stage. Besides bringing diversity and vibrancy to the theatre, the ultimate goal remains how to make these plays more accessible to the audience, making them remember and love history more.”
Among the 28 plays from Vietnamese and international art units participating in this year’s festival, nine come from art troupes representing eight countries: China, Israel, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mongolia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Uzbekistan.
Each work demonstrates a spirit of new exploration and discovery, characterized by high experimental value and a richness in creative methods and forms of expression, spanning scriptwriting, directing, art design, acting, sound, lighting, music, choreography, technique, and technology.
Although the content and artistic approach of each piece differ, they all ultimately uphold the values of truth, goodness, and beauty. Additionally, the delegations participated in seminars to exchange views on the current reality of world theatre art and the responsibility of performing to serve the public.
In recent years, the Vietnamese stage has seen many units begin to deploy modern technology in staging and performance. However, the effectiveness has not always been clear, often failing to leave a strong impression on the audience.
The primary cause is believed to be the practical conditions of domestic theatres, which have not yet met new requirements, alongside a lack of professionalism in transferring and applying technology to production and performance.
Yet, for artists who love creativity, applying technology to the stage is an inevitable journey if Vietnam’s performance industry is to gradually catch up with the world. The errors and difficulties encountered along the way will serve as necessary experience to find the right path, one that is reasonable and suited to the reality of the domestic theatre scene.
People’s Artist Giang Manh Ha, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Theatre Artists cum Head of the Organizing Committee, noted: “In terms of staging methods, our theatre has long followed a common denominator of ‘safety,’ rarely seeing bold breakthroughs. In contrast, distinctiveness and difference are highly encouraged in experimental theatre in other countries, especially in Europe. Therefore, at this festival, the organizing committee has strongly encouraged breakthrough creative features in the participating Vietnamese works. However, all exploration and creation of the new must be built on a solid artistic foundation and high aesthetics, creating attraction for the public while leaving behind meaningful, valuable, and profound life lessons.”
