VietNamNet Bridge – Nguyen Du’s classic Tale of Kieu will be performed in Viet Nam National Drama Theater, 1 Trang Tien street from March 1st to 10th to celebrate the International Women’s Day, March 8th.

A scene in the play The Tale of Kieu which is performed by artists of the Viet Nam National Drama Theatre last November. —VNS Photo Bach Lien

The work has been staged in traditional art forms including cai luong (reformed theater), cheo (traditional opera), tuong (classic drama) and ballet. The national drama theater will adapt this literary work with a combination of singing, dance and drama, creating a new approach to this work.

The play is adapted from The Tale of Kieu by writer Nguyen Hieu. The experimental drama combines singing, dance and drama with the use of lotus flower implying a human life which opens slightly, blossoms, and withers.

The Tale of Kieu, an epic poem written by Nguyen Du (1765–1820), is widely regarded as the most significant work of Vietnamese literature.

The Tale of Kieu’s 3,254 lines were written in luc bat  – a traditional Vietnamese verse form, which consists of alternating lines of six and eight syllables, and is the most popular Vietnamese poem of all time.

Depicting the arduous life of Thuy Kieu, a beautiful and talented young woman who had to sell herself into prostitution to save her father from prison, Nguyen Du overcame harsh social prejudice to praise Kieu’s physical and soulful beauty, as well as her talents and personality.

Through Kieu’s story, the author drew a picture of the corrupt, money-dominated and unequal feudal society in Viet Nam in the late 18th century and the early 19th century, while reflecting the aspirations for the right to live, and the right to freedom, justice, love and happiness.

VNS