Vietnam Youth Theater to stage Norwegian play

The play is a remake of the classic drama “Hedda Gabler” by Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen. The play was premiered in 1890 and is considered a culmination of the playwright's career.

This is a cultural cooperation project between Vietnam and Norway to celebrate 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1971-2021), which had to be postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Experimental performance of the play “Hedda Gabler” by Norwegian author Henrik Ibsen in Hanoi. Photo: Vietnam Youth Theatre

Director Tsuyoshi Sugiyama said that he meets certain difficulties when re-staging the famous play. “The play will be performed within two hours, one hour shorter than the original in order to better suit modern Vietnamese taste,” he said.

“In addition, Hedda Gabler has to be interpreted according to Japanese standards in all steps, from casting to character's dialogues as well as their facial expressions to showcase the complex personalities of the characters,” he added.

The play is named after its main character. The story revolves around Hedda Gabler's tragic life that, because of her own dissatisfaction with losing aristocratic privileges after marrying into a bourgeoisie family, creates plots and manipulates people's lives.

Talking about the project, Norwegian Ambassador to Vietnam Grete Løchen said: “The contradictions that Henrik Ibsen posed in his works some hundreds of years ago are still meaningful and relevant to the present.”

The actors and actresses of the play are Vietnamese artists from Vietnam Youth Theater, including Thu Quynh, Luong Thu Trang, and Thanh Son, among others.

“Hedda Gabler” play will be released in September 2022. It will then attend the 5th International Experimental Theater Festival which will be held in Hanoi in November 2022.