With each festival, Vietnamese theater demonstrates new transformations through experimentation and learning from colleagues both domestically and internationally, expanding the scope of expression in its works and touching the hearts of today's audience.
Dare to tell a truly different story on stage.
The 6th International Experimental Theatre Festival 2025 showcased a vibrant, diverse, and ambitious theatrical landscape. Encouragingly, the event attracted an increasing number of international and domestic art groups. Nine international groups from Poland, China (two), South Korea, Israel, Japan, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and the Netherlands participated. The event's location in four cities – Hanoi , Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong, and Ninh Binh – provided ample opportunity for domestic groups to compete.
Over the past two weeks, the public has been treated to a theatrical "feast" with many novelties. Some performances have left the auditorium to take place in the streets, some have used body language instead of words, some have combined theatrical productions with video art, and others have integrated live interaction on social media platforms...
From an international perspective, "Poetic Love Affair" (Poland) made a strong impression by transforming public spaces into stages; Israeli artist "Childbirth Course" and Dutch-Vietnamese artist Phi Nguyen in "With or Without Phi" both exploited interactivity, allowing viewers to participate in the work.
Both Chinese plays were interesting. "The Pipa Chronicle," with all the roles performed by female artists, and "What Night Is Tonight?" were a meeting point between traditional opera and modern staging.
Korean artists perform the familiar play "The Nine-Tailed White Fox" using a surreal and contemporary theatrical language.
Meanwhile, Japanese artists skillfully blended European philosophy with the spirit of Eastern theater in the play " Peace "...
Vietnamese troupes also "went big" with many bold ideas. The Vietnam National Drama Theatre, with "The Man in Rubber Sandals," experimented with a play that defied conventional space and time; without props, yet rich in poetry and rhythm. The Vietnam National Traditional Theatre brought "Medea" into the space of Cai Luong (Vietnamese traditional opera) and blended it with puppetry. The Vietnam Circus Federation told "Nghêu Sò Ốc Hến" (Clams, Snails, and Mussels) using the language of circus...
Hanoi's art troupes are also making strenuous efforts. "Dao Lieu" by the Hanoi Cheo Theatre is an answer to the question of traditional art in a modern context. "Dem Trang Dam Ha" by the Hanoi Drama Theatre emphasizes body language over dialogue. The Thang Long Puppet Theatre tells "Tam Cam" using elements of Cheo and puppetry.
Meanwhile, LucTeam's stage maintained a conventional, minimalist style in "Tomorrow the Sun Will Shine Again".
Another impressive performance was "The Elderly Carrying Bent Backs" by the Ninh Binh Traditional Arts Theatre, a harmonious blend of traditional Vietnamese opera (cheo), reformed opera (cai luong), classical opera (tuong), puppetry, and drama, along with wordplay and a combination of traditional and contemporary music.
These bright spots show that experimental theater is daring to tell stories "truly differently," experimenting with language, and using technology to innovate its delivery. However, along with the success, there are still some drawbacks. Some plays easily fall into the trap of "exoticization" by focusing only on superficial effects, lacking depth and failing to leave a lasting impression on the audience...
A journey of innovation rooted in the nation's identity.
Experimental theatre has always been seen as a journey in search of new expressive languages, but the formal facade has never been the ultimate goal. More importantly, it lies in the ability to unlock deeper cultural layers, so that theatre truly resonates with and touches the hearts of today's audience. This spirit permeated the 6th International Experimental Theatre Festival 2025, where professional conversations and performances continuously revolved around the question: What is the purpose of experimentation? And where does it lead theatre?
Chairwoman of the Vietnam Association of Theatre Artists, Trinh Thuy Mui, affirmed that the festival is an important international exchange space, helping Vietnamese artists to dialogue with the world, learn new methods, and promote the unique values of national theatre. The ultimate goal remains to create works with ideological value, rich artistic merit, and that truly resonate with the public.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai, experimentation does not equate to "creating something new." True creativity only emerges when artists find new ways of expressing the issues that have arisen and are still arising in life. This requires them to return to the core of national culture, because "newness" without a foundation will only become a visual effect.
From a professional standpoint, researchers acknowledge the strong efforts this year. From script structure, staging thinking, space design to acting methods, many organizations have experimented with new approaches, maintaining the characteristics of the genre while expanding the scope of creativity. Directions such as physical theater, non-verbal, visual, or the integration of multimedia technology show that today's stage not only tells stories, but also creates sensory experiences, placing the audience in a state of "participation" rather than "observation".
Through numerous experiments in circus art, People's Artist Tong Toan Thang, Director of the Vietnam Circus Federation, believes that contemporary theater that meets the needs of today's audience must be a convergence of entertainment to amaze viewers and humanistic values to create lasting impressions. Circus art today can resonate with other artistic languages such as symphony, opera, ballet, traditional Vietnamese theater (tuong, cheo, cai luong), etc., to become a rich and promising art form contributing to the flow of Vietnamese and world theater.
Through this year's festival, it's clear that the greatest value lies not only in the works themselves, but also in what Vietnamese artists have learned. This includes understanding what the global stage is doing, recognizing our own shortcomings, and, more importantly, having the opportunity to "test" audience reaction. This connection empowers Vietnamese theater to confidently enter a new phase of development and open the doors to integration.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/san-khau-thu-nghiem-tim-cach-bieu-dat-moi-cham-den-trai-tim-khan-gia-725171.html
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