Viet Nam National Drama Theatre’s artists will stage Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. The global masterpiece will debut in October. 

Artists Ngo Thuan (right) and Ba Duy (left) act Juliet and Romeo. 

Romeo & Juliet is set in Verona, Italy, where violence rules. Two families bear an old grudge and there is intense hatred against each other. In this world where greed, wealth and bitter feuds prevail, two disenchanted children dare to fall in love. 

The work was staged in Viet Nam in 1980 for the first time by the Viet Nam Youth Theatre. While there are many versions of Romeo & Juliet worldwide, director Anh Tu will introduce more Vietnamese cultural elements such as martial arts and modern dances in the Vietnamese version. 

"I will focus on singing and dancing in the play," People’s Artist director Anh Tu said. "I will use dances to express conflict in the play." Director Tú also successfully staged Hamlet last year, incorporating traditional dance of the central province of Thanh Hoa. 

The director edited the Vietnamese version of the script translated by Dang The Binh. The team also comprises set designer Doãn Bằng, musician Tien Minh and talented actors of the theatre group. 

It is the second world masterpiece to be staged by the Viet Nam National Drama Theatre following Hamlet last year under the theatre’s plan to perform world classics. The Viet Nam National Drama Theatre, a leading theatre group in the country, was found in 1959. 

VNS