Hong Anh plays Thuy Kieu

Artist Hong Anh said she turned down many film projects to accept the role of Thuy Kieu in a play inspired by the story of poet Nguyen Du.

Hong Anh is excited about the role because the story depicts a strong Thuy Kieu, who does not let life push her around but stands up and decides her own fate. "At first, I was curious about the role of Hoan Thu, but after the director gave me the script, I was determined to conquer the character, hoping to bring something new in appearance and temperament," the actress said.

Director Quang Thao said he had tried to recruit a number of actors to play Thuy Kieu, but they were not suitable, and at one point he thought he would have to stop the project. After that, he invited Hong Anh to audition and realized that this was the most suitable choice for the character. "She has both acting ability and good health, because many days the crew had to practice from 5pm to 5am," he said.

Hong Anh, 47 years old, started her career with dancing. At the age of 18, she was chosen by director Le Cung Bac to play the role of Bach Van - the younger sister of Bach Cuc (played by Viet Trinh) in the TV series Beauty of Tay Do. She continues to act in TV dramas. The alluvial roads, Dark Stairs . In 2000, she won the Best Supporting Actress award at the 45th Asia- Pacific Film Festival. In 2004, she made her first historical film appearance as Kieu Nguyet Nga in the film Luc Van Tien .

In recent years, she has participated in high-grossing commercial films, such as Blood Moon Party (Director Quang Dung, 180 billion VND). As a director, she left her mark with the film Island of the Inhabitants - The work won three major awards at the 2017 ASEAN Film Festival. Hong Anh performed for famous stages in Ho Chi Minh City such as Idecaf, Hoang Thai Thanh through plays 12 Midwives, Once Upon a Time, Half a Life of Beauty.

Script Under the shadow of a beauty There are many changes compared to the original work, some events and characters are added. The play has invested in the scenery, costumes, more than 200 specially designed costumes. Without revealing the specific budget, "producer" Huynh Anh Tuan said that the play is the project that has received the most effort, since the musical Fairy Russia (2017).

Music director Van Tu Quy composed each song separately to correspond to the situations and fates of the characters, such as the scene where Thuy Kieu and Thuc Sinh play chess, Hoan Thu appears, and intersperses Chau Van and Kieu chanting. "The challenge for us is to satisfy the entertainment quality, keep the audience until the last act, while ensuring the message, reflecting the current situation," Quang Thao said.

The play also features artists Thanh Thuy (as Hoan Thu), My Duyen (as Dam Tien), Dinh Toan (Ho Ton Hien), Dai Nghia (Tu Hai), Cong Danh (Thuc Sinh), Bach Long (Bac Hanh), Hoang Trinh (Tu Ba La Thu), Dieu Duc (nun Giac Duyen), Tuyen Map (Bac Ba). The work is scheduled to premiere at Ben Thanh Theater (District 1), with six performances in December.

The Tale of Kieu is a famous work of the great poet Nguyen Du, based on the prose novel The Tale of Kieu by Thanh Tam Tai Nhan (China). The story is set in China during the reign of King Gia Tinh of the Ming Dynasty (1521-1567), the main character - Kieu - had to sell herself as a concubine and then wander into a brothel. The work is considered "The Great Compilation of the country's classical literature". The language and words in the work are used to respond in Vietnamese cultural activities such as: reciting Kieu, praising Kieu, painting Kieu, fortune telling Kieu, singing Nghe An and Ha Tinh folk songs using Kieu's poems.

The work has been brought to stage and film by many units. In 2022, the play Ballet Kieu - inspired by the work - won a medal at National Music and Dance Festival 2021

Source