Que Tran felt a pang of nostalgia upon seeing her old role again.

Serving as a judge at the 2026 National Cai Luong Actor Talent Competition currently taking place in Ho Chi Minh City, artist Que Tran expressed her emotion upon rewatching her past performances on the evening of May 20th.

Artist Que Tran portrays the character of Ut in the play "The Love Story of Khau Vai" - Photo: LINH DOAN

The two characters that stirred Quế Trân's emotions were Út in " The Love Story of Khau Vai" and Trinh in "The Ngũ Bồ Waterfront ".

Que Tran recalls memories of her role.

Sitting in the judge's position to select new Cai Luong talents, Que Tran said she was not only aware of her role as an evaluator but also happy to see many Cai Luong artists, especially young Cai Luong artists from all over the country, showcase their talents and win over the judges and the audience.

This is the second time Quế Trân has been honored with an invitation to be a judge in the cải lương (Vietnamese traditional opera) acting talent competition, proving that she has earned the trust and confidence of the judges through her professional abilities.

In the competition, actor Hoang Tuan Thinh (from the Vietnam National Traditional Theatre) competed with the role of Co Sau in the performance "Long Lang Da Soi" (The Heart of a Wolf). This is a character from the Cai Luong play "Chuyen Tinh Khau Vai" (The Love Story of Khau Vai) .

This scene reminded Quế Trân of a role that had previously left a lasting impression on the public: the character of Út. Út had a beautiful love affair with Ba, but Cố Sầu tried everything to win her over, causing Út immense suffering and leading to a tragic life.

The role is even more special because "The Love Story of Khau Vai" is part of a project combining actors from both the North and South of Vietnam, directed by Trieu Trung Kien, and launched on the new Dai Viet Cai Luong stage in 2019.

Que Tran confided to Tuoi Tre Online that she absolutely loves the play and her role as Ut. To create the play, Que Tran, Le Tu, Ha Nhu, Quang Khai, playwright Hoang Song Viet, and director Trieu Trung Kien went all the way to Khau Vai to do some research.

The play was praised for its meticulously crafted cultural elements, from costumes and music to dances and scenery, which celebrate the beautiful yet tragic love story of Ba and Ut, giving rise to the Khau Vai Love Market we see today.

Actor Hoang Tuan Thinh (left, representing the Vietnam National Traditional Theatre) competes with his portrayal of Co Sau in the performance "Long Lang Da Soi" (The Heart of a Wolf) - Photo: LINH DOAN

The Trinh girl from the Ngu Bo waterfront of yesteryear.

Besides playing the role of Út in the competition on the evening of May 20th, Quế Trân also unexpectedly encountered the character of Trinh in the cải lương play "Bến nước Ngũ Bồ" .

Trinh and her poor father, an old ferryman at the Ngũ Bồ River, secretly protected the brave warrior Lê Liêm, hoping to bring freedom to the country even if it meant sacrificing themselves.

Que Tran played the role of Trinh in the play "Ben Nuoc Ngu Bo" in 2009 - Photo: LINH DOAN

Directed by Le Nguyen Dat, the play deeply moved audiences at the 2009 National Cai Luong Festival. With her subtle portrayal of the character, Que Tran left a lasting impression on viewers with her masterful performance as Trinh.

With "The Love Story of Khau Vai," not only did Que Tran get to reminisce about beautiful memories of the play, but so did young judge Vo Minh Lam.

In the play "The Love Story of Khau Vai," everyone thought Lam would play the role of Ba because at that time he was a rising young actor on the Ho Chi Minh City stage.

However, Vo Minh Lam "darkened" his character when he played Co Sau, a unique and unpleasant character that evoked mixed feelings of both hatred and pity in the play.

After the performance, Lam also entered this role in the Tran Huu Trang Cai Luong Stage Actor Talent Competition in 2022. He was the only one to receive a gold medal in the double emotional category for the challenging role of Co Sau.

I remember when Lam won the award, there was a small debate about whether awarding the prize was justified because the role of Co Sau wasn't purely "poisonous." However, the judges explained that the ability to combine both poison and emotion effectively and captivate the audience further demonstrated the actor's talent.

And the gold medal awarded to Lam that year was considered entirely deserved.

Back to the topic

LINH DOAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/que-tran-nao-nao-gap-lai-vai-dien-xua-2026052107203541.htm