Political drama still has its own appeal

In the context of a shortage of new and attractive topics, 4 plays representing Ho Chi Minh City stage participating in the 5th National Professional Theater Festival on "The Image of the Police Soldier" - 2025 brought a rich picture.

No longer portraying the rigid "hero of the times" model, directors have brought to the stage everyday stories about police officers. It is the inner struggles, the choices between justice and family, between ideals and temptations... that have created beautiful images of police officers protecting the peace of society.

"Another War": Simple, gentle and profound

Watching the play "Another War" by Hong Van Drama Theater, the audience realized that People's Artist Hong Van, in her role as artistic advisor, did not create the image of a police officer with familiar actions such as chase scenes or martial arts scenes to suppress criminals. Director - Meritorious Artist Le Nguyen Dat chose a static storytelling style, focusing on psychology and moral conflicts.

With the story of solving a case in the medical field - a thorny topic, the image of a police officer is sharply portrayed through Captain Minh Kien. He not only faces criminals but also has to face the fear of losing his loved ones and being threatened by his own colleagues.

Political drama still has its own appeal - Photo 1.

A scene from the play "Another War" by director - Meritorious Artist Le Nguyen Dat on Hong Van Drama Stage

The remarkable point in the staging of "Another War" is the restraint: no noise, no overt propaganda, but letting each character "speak" for themselves through their choice of behavior. The stage thus becomes a court of conscience, where the audience not only watches but also has to ask themselves: If I were in that character's position, what would I do?

Meritorious Artist Le Nguyen Dat has created "gaps" for the audience to contemplate, live and be drawn into the characters' stories. He staged the play not dryly but very lyrically, true to the Hong Van Drama Theater - simple, gentle, graceful but no less profound. The actors: Lam Vy Da, Minh Luan, Lac Hoang Long, Bui Cong Danh, Pham Yen... shone with their characters and "space" for acting.

"Deep Night": Skillful, not stiff

If "Another War" depicts the degeneration of some cadres, "Deep Night" is a silent monologue about the struggle between a father's love and the responsibility of a police officer.

Director Quoc Thao - who also plays Colonel Thai in "Deep Night" - uses light, sound and expressive language to build a complex inner world . Every time the character monologues, darkness covers the stage, cold light isolates the body, leaving the heart exposed like an unhealable wound.

Director Quoc Thao chose a staging style that combines realism and expression. He did not get caught up in the dry details of a propaganda play but skillfully led the audience into the characters' inner thoughts through a flexible, restrained and meaningful stage rhythm.

In "Deep Night", the psychological depth is the mainstay of the staging technique. Colonel Thai is not a "flawless hero" but a father with a tormented heart, although he cannot express it in words, his eyes are full of sadness and responsibility. His inner monologues are treated by the director with monochrome lighting - usually cold tones or foggy lights - to isolate the character's body and expose his inner self.

"Sugar Coated Bullet": Counterpart, Mirror Image

"The Sugar-Coated Bullet" by director Mi Le is a blend of academic research and theatrical emotion. The play not only tells a story of a crime but also the process of ideals sliding down when tempted by power and benefits.

Director Mi Le has created a contrasting character structure - two friends, one becomes a steadfast police officer, the other falls into the vortex of "sugar-coated bullets". It is also a reflection of ideals and reality.

The non-linear staging technique (interweaving the present and the past) is handled by the director with light and quiet music , making the drama become a multi-layered inner flow. Without the need for dramatic action, the hesitant eyes and halting voices of the characters are enough to make the audience think. The "bullet" in the play does not explode, but the consequences it leaves behind can penetrate all layers of moral protection.

"Emotional Reunion": A Humanistic Journey

Meanwhile, with "Emotional Reunion", director Le Quoc Nam chose a different story: Not solving a case, not fighting a criminal, but the journey of a female police officer searching for the suspect's lost twin brother. From there, she clearly knows that her brother committed murder and why the cousins were separated.

The play has a very humane meaning: The police officer not only represents the law but also carries the burden of love, memories and losses of the suspect.

The highlight of "Emotional Reunion" is the genuine, powerful performance of Meritorious Artist Minh Nhi when he plays both roles; while artist Binh Tinh takes on the role of a courageous female police officer, not afraid of hardship, devoted to the people. Without using elaborate techniques or tricks, director Le Quoc Nam, with the advice of People's Artist Tran Ngoc Giau, staged this play in an effort to renew himself.

Not stereotyped, clichéd

The four plays are four stories, four perspectives and do not build the image of the police officer in a stereotyped, clichéd way. That does not affect the propaganda mission but rather revives the genre of political drama rich in art, thought and emotion.

During the difficult period of searching for political scripts, Ho Chi Minh City theater tried to stage works about police officers that were very real and authentic. The efforts of the four directors Le Nguyen Dat, Quoc Thao, Mi Le and Le Quoc Nam, therefore, are very worthy of recognition.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/kich-chinh-luan-van-co-suc-hut-rieng-196250624210343579.htm