A festival featuring a total of 32 Tuong (classical drama) plays, with scripts either written or edited by the late playwright Tong Phuoc Pho, will take place at Da Nang’s Nguyen Hien Dinh Tuong Theatre from 24 September to 4 October.  Free admission to the theatre during the festival will be offered to both local residents and visitors.

Jointly organised by the municipal People’s Committee and the Viet Nam Stage Artistes’ Association, artistes from 6 professional and 14 amateur troupes from across the country will participate.

A performance by the theatre’s artistes

This is the first large-scale festival of traditional stage performing arts to be organised in the city, and the first event exclusively for Tuong plays developed by the only playwright.

The festival aims to commemorate playwright Pho, who was posthumously bestowed with the Ho Chi Minh Prize for Literature and Arts in 1996 for his great efforts to develop the country’s stage performing arts.  The event will also offer the opportunity for the participating troupes to increase experience exchanges in promoting the values of this type of arts.

Apart from their performances at the theatre, the artistes will perform in some local suburban areas, including Hoa Vang District’s Tuy Loan Village and Son Tra District’s Tho Quang Ward and the playwright’s hometown in Quang Nam Province’s Dien Ban District.