Ho Chi Minh City Historical play about General Le Van Duyet - "the first founding hero" - attracted 700 audiences in the first show.
Dinh Toan (left) - as Le Van Duyet and Quang Thao - as King Minh Mang. Photo: Mai Nhat
Two and a half hours long, the work captivates viewers thanks to its dramatic story . Dinh Toan surprises with his calm acting style, rich in inner strength. The portrait of Le Van Duyet appears not only through his achievements, but also through his dialogues with surrounding characters: Minh Mang, Deputy Governor Huynh Cong Ly, and his wife Do Thi Phan (Hoang Trinh).
Facing the king, he showed the integrity of a meritorious subject, refusing to bow down like the treacherous subjects around Minh Mang. When Le Van Duyet made up his mind, no one could stop him, not even the king. When he was with his wife, he was heartbroken because he could not bring her true marital happiness, "he would have to repay her in the next life".
Musical scene when Le Van Duyet is in pain before the miserable life of the common people. Video: Mai Nhat
Before Huynh Cong Ly, Ta Quan showed his contempt, questioning and accusing him to the end. Le Van Duyet warned corrupt officials with the philosophy "the people lift the boat, the people capsize the boat". With the concept of "fighting corruption like fighting termites", Ta Quan believed that it was not the court, but the people who gave him blessings, wealth and property. Many times, Dinh Toan received applause from the audience by emphasizing valuable lines, such as "The law is a small whip, only hitting the hands and feet, not the head. But with me, I hit from the head down".
In the villainous role, Huynh Cong Ly is not a difficult role for Dai Nghia. The artist fully portrays the cruelty of a military general who once made many achievements, but gradually became corrupted because of his desire for power. Together with his daughter Hue Phi, the Deputy Town Chief revealed many calculations when "le Van Duyet rolled around in the fire of bullets and swords, while Huynh Cong Ly just sat comfortably and enjoyed his benefits". Dai Nghia also had many minutes of juggling with humorous scenes, such as joking with the people and criticizing the henchmen.
The scene of Left Army General Le Van Duyet executing Huynh Cong Ly. Video: Mai Nhat
The remaining characters mostly played their roles well. Quang Thao left his mark in the scenes where he acted opposite Le Van Duyet, harboring political intrigue. In his heart, Minh Mang feared the power and generosity of the Left General, but also admired him for his integrity and the people's love. My Duyen portrayed the cunning and flirtatiousness of a concubine who was loved by the king like a treasure. Through Hoang Trinh's performance, Do Thi Phan carried the thoughts of a loyal wife, worried every time her husband was in danger but vowed to be a confidant and spiritual support for the Left General all her life.
The play kept the audience engaged until it ended at nearly 11pm. They clapped along to Le Van Duyet's every word when facing the evil minister. When leaving, the audience lingered, taking souvenir photos with the backdrop and posters of the characters in the play.
Audience watching the first play about Ta Quan Le Van Duyet. Photo: Mai Nhat
Audience member Nguyen Thi Nguyen, 38, said she brought her 8th grade daughter along so she could learn more about the legendary general. This audience member liked the new script as it focused on the acting between Ta Quan and his wife, something that many other plays have not been able to do when depicting his life. "The sound of the play is not really good, the actors' voices are lost many times. Some artists sometimes stumble over their lines, maybe because it is their first performance so they are nervous," said audience member Nguyen.
The work marks Idecaf's return to history after 5 years, since the musical Tien Nga caused a fever at one time. The project opens the stage program Su Viet Hoc Duong , which has been cherished by Mr. Huynh Anh Tuan - director of Idecaf - for many years.
Huynh Anh Tuan said the crew spent a year preparing for the play. The design team went to Hue to find suitable materials to build the scene and make props. All costumes were ordered from a workshop specializing in making Nguyen Dynasty costumes in Hue. "We aim to stick to the historical and cultural space with the criterion 'correct then beautiful'," said Mr. Tuan. The work will continue to be performed on April 21 and 28 at the Thanh Nien Theater (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City). The crew said the first three performances have been "sold out".
Le Van Duyet (1763-1832), also known as Ta Quan Duyet, was a politician and military mandarin who assisted Nguyen Anh in the war against the Tay Son army. When the war ended, the Nguyen Dynasty was established, he became a high-ranking official in the court and served two kings, Gia Long (ie Nguyen Anh) and Minh Mang. In 1832, General Le Van Duyet died after an illness at the age of 69. He was buried on a high mound west of Gia Dinh citadel, now known as Lang Ong in Ba Chieu, Binh Thanh district, Ho Chi Minh City. Many stage works were inspired by his life, such as the play Ta Quan Le Van Duyet (directed by Doan Hoang Giang), and the reformed opera Trung Than (directed by Hoa Ha).
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