The 5th Hanoi Theater Festival kicked off on September 25 at the Dai Nam Theater in Hanoi.

The annual festival was organized by the Vietnam Theater Artists Association in collaboration with the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports.

A scene in the cheo play entitled "Trung trinh liet nu" by Hanoi Cheo Folk Troupe. Photo: nld.com.vn

At the event's opening ceremony, Head of the Vietnam Theatre Artist's Association Trinh Thuy Mui said that the 5th Hanoi Theater Festival 2022 is one of the activities to celebrate the 68th anniversary of Hanoi Liberation Day (October 10, 1954 - October 10, 2022).

“The festival features many stage performances, from folk to traditional and modern arts. All of these works have a high artistic quality to honor Hanoi - the heroic capital and its people,” she stated.

“The festival also provides artists an opportunity to exchange and share performing experiences on how to serve the demand of modern audiences better," she added.

She also urged state management agencies to invest more in fostering the development of the theatrical arts of the capital in particular and the country in general.

The Hanoi Theater Festival 2022 kicked off with the historical cheo play titled "Trung trinh liet nu" or "Loyal Female-Martyr" performed by the artists of the Hanoi Cheo Folk Troupe. The play tells the story of Princess An Tu, who sacrificed herself to help the Tran Dynasty troop win over the Mongol invaders in the 12th century.

The 2022 Hanoi Theater Festival will last until October 2 with the participation of 13 art units with 13 Hanoi-themed plays, including "Immortal with Thang Long", "Song Contemplating the Lo River", "The Night Before of the Zodiac", the "Legend of the One Pillar Pagoda", among others.

The festival is open to the public at various stages throughout Hanoi, such as Dai Nam Theatre in Hue Street of Hai Ba Trung District, Vietnamese Army Theatre in Ho Tung Mau Street of Cau Giay District, and Labor Theatre in Nguyen Chi Thanh Street of Dong Da District, among others.