French play takes the stage in Hà Nội

HÀ NỘI — Hà Nội audiences will have a chance to watch a production of The Bald Soprano by LucTeam troupe at Kim Mã Theatre today.

The one-act play is the first work by French author Eugene Ionesco. He wrote the play in 1949, helping to inspire a revolution in dramatic technique and create the Theatre of the Absurd genre. The play is one of the most staged shows in France and has gained widespread critical acclaim.

The play depicts discrete events in a snobby British family. Its focus is conversation, which is often bland, nonsensical or repetitive. It is set over the course of one day. It has been described as non-storyline, non-conflict and non-personality.

“Absurd plays are too strange for most Vietnamese audiences,” said director Trần Lực. “I think Theatre of the Absurd is one the genres that can differ greatly based on how it is performed. The core is still humanity and the relationships between people. We tell a western story in our own way. The audience will see things close to their lives.”

Lực uses the style of “epic theatre” – which is similar to Vietnamese tuồng (classical opera) – to stage the play. The stage designer is George Burchett, who has kept things simple. There is one grey wall with a white clock hanging above a door.

The costumes are a uniform light grey colour that highlights the spirit of the work.  Using minimalist elements directs attention to the characters through the actors’ eyes, facial expressions and other performing skills. This is a challenge for LucTeam’s young artists but it is also a chance for them to grow quickly and improve.

Over the show’s 90 minutes, the firefighter, played by Lê Văn, has a lot of confusing dialogue.

“I tried to grasp the meaning but I could not understand it,” said Văn. “In the end I decided to memorise the dialogue and it took me half a month to learn it by heart.”

The production will attend the 4th Hà Nội International Experimental Theatre Festival 2019 in October. LucTeam was founded in 2017 by veteran artist Trần Lực, who has made a mark as an actor, television film producer and teacher.

The play will begin at 8pm. For ticket information, please visit https://ticketbox.vn/event/74966/ticket-booking/52059. — VNS