Classic drama to go on puppet stage

Based on the classic drama Ngheu, So, Oc, Hen (Mussel, Oyster, Snail and Clam), director of the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre Nguyen Hoang Tuan, has produced a puppet performance entitled Nang Hen. The play, featuring a combination of marionettes and actors has wowed audiences. Tuan talks about stories from behind the curtain.
What inspired you to direct the play?
Audiences are already familiar with Ngheu, So, Oc, Hen through tuong (classical drama) and cheo (traditional opera). When reading the script, I realised that the play could be performed through puppetry. Through the development of the production I realised that a lot of details could be expressed through the use of puppets. The puppetry really captures some of the effects in the play.
Until now, water puppetry seems to be more preferred by Vietnamese audiences than the usual puppetry performed on a stage. So why did you choose this form? Does it have any advantages in conveying the story?
Dry puppetry has many advantages in portraying certain scenes or events. Puppets can be controlled more accurately on stage. The performance space for puppetry is wider, and on stage they can express their emotions through the manipulation of their hands, legs and heads, while water puppets face some obstacles when attempting to express emotions.
Why did you change the name of the performance to Nang Hen, rather than the use the traditional title Ngheu, So, Oc, Hen?
The four main characters, named after four types of mollusc, are the fortune teller, the rich man, the burglar and the pawn shop owner. We want to emphasise the role of Hen in the story which pokes fun at universal themes of greed, corruption and the lust for power.
Hen is the beautiful and lascivious pawn shop owner who buys what Ngheu and Oc steal from So’s house. When her venture is exposed, the three of them must appeal to the district court.
During the trial the corruption of the feudal regime, presented in the play by the greedy, obscene district chief, district clerk and village chief, is exposed. When Hen is released in the district chief’s hope of scoring a date, she decides to deviously go on dates with all three men on the same night. The leering men and their jealous wives stumble through the night as secrets are revealed in front of society’s most powerful people. Hen is ingenious in unmasking the corrupt authorities.
You agree that puppets certainly aren’t as capable as people in terms of expressing their emotions?
Yes, that’s correct. That’s why we combine puppets, puppets directly manipulated by stage-hands dressed in black, with actors. The association between human and puppets helps express the emotions of the characters. Puppets have some disadvantages but they are suitable for a comedy.
We arrange two stages for the play, one for actors and another for puppets shaped like a giant clam’s shell.
The actors and puppet performers have had to work hard to combine different forms on the same stage, haven’t they?
They were really active during the rehearsals. We lacked a venue to practice in, so we had to borrow a stage from the Quan Doi (Military) Theatre. We had to work rapidly in case the theatre was booked.
In addition the puppeteers still continued their performances at the Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Holding down two jobs at the same time was hard for them.
However, the actors became acquainted with combination of acting and puppetry through several plays such as Huyen Thoai Tien Rong (Legend of Fairy and Dragon), Tran Co Loa Thanh (Defending Co Loa Citadel) and Thanh Giong (Saint Giong).
Is this play part of the activities to mark Ha Noi’s 1,000th anniversary. Will it run until that anniversary?
The play debuted on the occasion of Ha Noi’s 999th year on October 10. From now until next year, we will perform at schools free of charge.