IDECAF theater keeps effort to retain consistency of its children’s program

A scene in the play, "The Adventures of Sinbad: Mermaids' Battle" of the 33rd edition of the popular children’s program Ngay Xua Ngay Xua (Once Upon a Time) last summer

The musical titled “Nang cong chua va chiec ao tam gai “ (The Princess and shirts made from stinging nettles) is the 34th edition of the popular children’s program called Ngay Xua Ngay Xua (Once Upon a Time) that began in 2000 by IDECAF.

The play is based on “The Wild Swans”, a literary fairy tale by Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen. The story about a princess who rescues her 11 brothers from a spell cast by an evil queen was first published in 1838 in the writer’s book titled Fairy Tales Told for Children. It has been adapted to many ballets, television shows, and films.

IDECAF theater will start selling tickets for 20 additional performances in July on May 23.

Ms. Tran Thuy Tien, 47, said that she has not missed any play over the past 23 years.

According to director Huynh Anh Tuan of IDEACF stage, the theater launched the first stage for children in 1997, presenting dramas based on famous fairy and folk tales to children on weekends.

With a desire to make a children’s large-scale stage that is more spectacular and stunning, IDECAF launched the first Ngay Xua Ngay Xua (Once Upon a Time) program featuring the drama titled Tam Cam (The story of Tam and Cam) based on an ancient Vietnamese fairy tale at 1,000-seat Ben Thanh Theater in District 1 in 2000. The play set a record for a children’s program with the largest number of 15 consecutive performances at that time.

The theater will make efforts to maintain Ngay Xua Ngay Xua (Once Upon a Time) program that has attracted a huge number of audiences for tens of years, especially children. Participating artists and theater staff always strive to improve the quality of plays that educate and inspire kids to make the performances more attractive every year, director Huynh Anh Tuan said.