Thang Long Ca Tru Theatre opens for tourists

      A businesswoman, Nguyen Lan Huong, has established the Thang Long Ca Tru Theatre inside the Vietnam Revolutionary Museum in Hanoi to serve tourists. She talked about this project.
Why did you form this theatre?
I worked for a construction company before opening an advertising company of my own. In two years working in the advertising industry, I always thought of doing something meaningful. Perhaps my family influenced my decision to open this theatre. My father is painter Nguyen Lai, who established Nam Son Gallery. My uncle is stage artist Trinh Mai. I opened this theatre because there was no ca tru theatre in Vietnam, though it is a cultural heritage of Vietnam.
Hanoi has several ca tru clubs but they are not attractive to foreigners. Our theatre is a professional one that introduces the cultural aspects and the art of ca tru to international visitors.
Your theatre is located on the campus of the Vietnam Revolution Museum. Is it suitable for foreign tourists?
The Thang Long Ca Tru Theatre trains around 40 singers, dancers and musicians. Some senior artists are theatre advisors and art instructors, such as Nguyen Thi Sinh, Vu Van Hong, Pho Thi Kim Duc, Nguyen Thi Chuc and Do Thi Khue.
It was very hard to find an appropriate place in the hub of Hanoi. After three months, I was at a loss until I met Mr. Hien (Director of the Vietnam Revolutionary Museum). He warmly supported my project.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has a plan to link theatres with tourism firms. But only water puppetry theatre has been successful in this plan. Do you think that it is difficult to attract visitors to your theatre?
Puppetry is very easy to understand so it attracts visitors. Cheo and cai luong are unattractive because foreign audiences can’t understand them.
But ca tru is difficult to understand, don’t you think?
Ca tru is really difficult to understand so it is a big challenge for me to introduce it to foreign visitors. We have printed pamphlets introducing our programmes and the meanings of ca tru songs. We also have guides who introduce the exhibition room of ca tru to the audience before and after they watch the show. Our documents were translated by Mr. Duong Tuong (the most prestigious translator in Vietnam).
Traditionally, ca tru audiences sit on sedge mats. Is it traditional that the theatre has up to one hundred chairs?
We have to accept that in professional art business. We can’t expect that all 100 seats will be full. It took tens of years for water puppetry to reach the current success.
Your theatre offers three shows a day, but why no evening shows?
We will change our schedule to fit the audience. We don’t have evening show because we don’t want to compete with the Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre.