Hanoi (VNS/VNA) – The tragic love story of Lanand Diep in a famous cai luong (reformed theatre) piece will beperformed in Hanoi on November 23.

It’s a part of Tai Danh Dat Viet (VietnameseTalents) series of performances honouring traditional art. This is the firsttime the programme has been introduced in Hanoi, after big success in HCMCity and Da Nang in June and August, respectively. 

The cai luong piece Lan va Diep (Lan and Diep) tellsa story from the 1930s.

Lan and Diep had a beautiful love and were to marry when Diepfinished his study. While living and studying in the city, Diep fell intoa trap and had to marry a rich woman, even though she was already pregnant byanother man. She took the opportunity to sleep with a drunken Diep andthen claimed to be pregnant with his child. The news made Lan shocked andbroke her heart. She left the village for a far-away temple where she became aBuddhist nun. Tragically, when Diep found Lan, she breathed her lastin his arms.    

With the plot from a novel written by Nguyen Cong Hoan, the piece was stagedfor the first time in 1936 by Tran Huu Trang, a leading scriptwriter of thesouth.

In 1974, choreographer/director Loan Thao remade it with the participation ofChi Tam and Thanh Kim Hue. The recordings of the performance are popular athome and abroad. The roles also brought fame for Tam and Hue.

After 45 years, director Gia Bao once again has two cai luong starsinvolved. Bao changed the performance a little to blow new life into the pieceand bring more emotions for the audience. The story will be narrated byMeritorious Artist Thanh Thanh Hien.

Hien was born to a family of cai luong artists.Since when she was little, she has loved Lan va Diep, and often listens toit with an old cassette, the piece recorded in 1974.

“I listened to the piece during the meals and cried, mymother told me not to cry while eating, but I still cried whenever Ilistened to it,” said Hien.

“I know all songs, all conversations of the piece, director Baoknows how much I love it. Maybe it’s why he gave me the role ofnarrator.

“That role hasn’t appeared in other versions of the piecebefore. I expect that I can help bring bright colours to the tragedy.”

People’s Artist Minh Vuong, who is famous for cai luong performances,and Hoai Lam, winner of Guong Mat Than Quen (Your Face Sounds Familiar)television show in 2014, will also star.

The three-hour piece will bring unforgettable emotions forthe audiences, said director Bao.

Bao is the initiator of Vietnamese Talents series. Launchedsince 2014, the series gathered leading artists in cai luong, tuong (classicaldrama), singing, comedy and cinema.

The show will take place on November 23 at Au Co Art Centre, 8 Huynh Thuc Khangstreet, Hanoi. Tickets are now on sale at the venue./.