Theatre proves comedy can translate

      In a bid to show a new side of Vietnamese culture, the Youth Theatre is performing comedies in English. Trung Hieu checks it out.
A couple act a scene on stage typically Vietnamese in every way apart from one thing - their troupe are bringing popular theatre to the stage with a difference, their renditions are in English.
Their comedy Doi Cuoi (Laughing Lives) has won critical acclaim from audiences at Tuoi Tre (Youth) Theatre on Ha Noi’s Ngo Thi Nham Street.
The idea was the brainchild of Nguyen Si Tien, actor
and deputy head of the theatre’s Troupe No2. "I first thought of performing Doi Cuoi in English for foreigners five years ago.
"At that time, several tourism companies also asked us if we had any dramas we could present to tourists to present Vietnamese culture. The idea was welcomed by our theatre."
Many foreigners live and work in Viet Nam so it is nice to offer them something else apart from traditional tuong (classical drama), cheo (traditional operetta) and cai luong (reformed theatre), Tien says.
"Of all the shows staged at the theatre, the series Doi Cuoi (in Vietnamese) has been the most popular with audiences. We perform it many nights each week, but now it’s time to rejuvenate the show to get more bums on seats. As some actors are good at English, we thought why not translate the show into English!"
Studying the script in English is a challenge, but it "doesn’t mean we can’t do it," Tien says.
"When we do the show in Vietnamese, differences in the dialect and culture of each locality can make people laugh at different things. But for English-speaking audiences, we asked ourselves: what will make they laugh, how can we get them interested in the story?"
The theatre had to do a lot of research when translating the script, getting advice from Vietnamese people who had lived abroad and foreigners who were fluent in Vietnamese. The theatre then passed on the script to Apollo Education and Training, a centre that employs English teachers from across the world, to edit the script. Teachers also helped correct actors’ English when they were performing.
"It is not easy to introduce Vietnamese culture. I had to simplify stories to make them easier for foreigners to understand. I want non-natives to see Vietnamese people in a very positive light," Tien says.
The dramatic burst of applause at the end of the show is proof of how well the performance is being received. One man in the audience is Travis Fennell.
"I was surprised that the performers can speak English fairly well," he says.
"I understood all the contents that the performers wanted to describe. I like the comedies pretty much, as they helped me understand more about Vietnamese culture, especially the way people think," he says.
English editor and language coach, Claude Becker, says the actors have different levels of English so he works with them in different ways.
"I am impressed with some of them. Some hadn’t learnt any English before, but in just a few weeks they came along really well.
"We make a choice of popular words, and choose a common English accent for everyone. So, some of the performers’ pronunciation may not be very correct but audiences still understand them."
In terms of the future of English language dramas in Viet Nam, Becker is all smiles.
" I absolutely believe the theatre will be successful because the theatre provides something unique that foreigners have not been offered in Ha Noi before. Visitors to Viet Nam want to see Vietnamese culture and lifestyle. This is a way for foreigners to study, as the plays talk about things that we don’t have access to."
Sense of humour
Becker helps the troupe choose humorous details to translate into English.
"Vietnamese and English speakers have a different sense of humour. We have different understanding on how things are explained. That’s why we have to be really careful when we think about what Westerners will find funny."
It’s a tough slog for everyone involved in the production process. Actress Cao Nguyet Hang says the cast have practised very hard for more than four months.
"The show’s debut was a roaring success. All of us worked so hard, but we didn’t think the first performance would be such a big hit," she says.
"During our rehearsals, coach Claude Becker from Apollo helped correct our pronunciation, it was hard work, but we are willing to continue working hard so in the future we might be able to take the show abroad."
Actress Le Tu Oanh says the performers have to spend many hours in rehearsal each day.
"I swat up my lines all day, whether I’m at home or on my way to the theatre. We get into the skin of the character and think about how they would react in a certain situation. When we are in character we think in English, not Vietnamese. This is a very good way to learn English," she says.
"We all try to help each other improve our pronunciation. We also record our shows on video so we can watch it after to help us get better."
Looking to the future, Tien says the troupe are going to expand their show to another venue – Ha Noi’s Students’ Cultural Centre on Thien Quang Lake.
"The series in Vietnamese was very successful. The demand for this kind of entertainment is huge, so we hope this model will continue previous success and open new opportunities for future development."