Vietnam water puppeteers impress Japanese audiences

The Thang Long Water Puppetry Theatre took part in the 8th Asian Performing Arts Festival (APAF) in Tokyo from November 26-29.
The festival was also attended by art troupes from Seoul (the Republic of Korea), Taipei (Taiwan, China), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Manila (the Philippines), New Deli (Indea) and Tokyo (Japan).
During the event, which took place at the Tokyo Arts Space, there were three programmes every night which included the Thang Long Theatre’s water puppet performance staged by Japanese artist Madoka Okada, a play in English by Korean director Kim Suk Man and a modern dance performance by Japanese choreographer Mikuni Yanaihar.
The festival also had a unique show named “Asian kitchen”, based on food from participating cities. This show presented seven short plays performed by only one actor coming from each related country.
The APAF is an annual joint event under the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 which aims to boost mutual understanding and cultural exchange among Asian citizens as well as promoting interaction between Asian artists.
The first APAF was held in Tokyo in 2002. It was then organised in six other Asian cities before coming back to Tokyo again this year.