Recreating a popular old script

A quick look at the repertoire of theaters in Ho Chi Minh City reveals that almost every brand during this period had one or several old plays that were revamped and restaged.

According to insiders, the trend of reviving old plays, besides the scarcity of new scripts, is also driven by the desire of some theaters to revive plays that were once popular with audiences. One of the pioneering theaters in reviving old scripts is Hoang Thai Thanh Theater, which plans seasonal performances and remakes a series of old plays for public staging.

Stage 5B is also striving to win over audiences with meticulously crafted new scripts, alongside a number of popular older plays that will be presented in new versions with a new cast.

A scene from the play "Let's Love Each Other" - the new version by IDECAF Theatre (Photo: IDECAF)

For theaters, reviving old plays is considered a safe option because it mainly involves refreshing the existing framework, plot, and characters. However, according to experts, this is a double-edged sword, as avoiding repetition of the old script is a challenge. While some new versions have been produced, the main difference lies in the actors' creativity.

People's Artist Tran Minh Ngoc has revived the play "The Shaman" or "A Stolen Life" with a new version, stating: "New versions are usually better because they are the culmination of interaction with the audience; the impact of the old script on the new version is determined by the actors."

Therefore, audiences come to new versions of plays to see how actors reprise the roles previously played by a star, and how they reinvent the characters. Currently, Dai Nghia, Dinh Toan, Quang Thao, Thanh Thuy, etc., are popular actors who excel at reinterpreting old roles in new versions.

It's evident that most revived plays originate from a high-quality, insightful script that was meticulously crafted in its original version. The key to revitalizing old plays is that the actors shouldn't simply rely on the past glory of their predecessors, but rather introduce new creative elements to provide audiences with a fresh experience.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/van-nghe/dung-lai-kich-ban-cu-an-khach-20231108210034221.htm