“Hạ Hồi 2025” project: Connecting Tuồng with contemporary audiences

Hạ Hồi 2025 has been launched with a series of ongoing activities including talk shows, immersive art tours, podcast production, and a documentary film focusing on Tuồng. The project aims to communicate the essence of this traditional theatre form while offering a contemporary perspective on Tuồng within today’s cultural context. Beginning with Hạ Hồi Talkshow – The Next Chapter at Complex 01 on 13 July, the project marked a moment in which traditional performing arts were brought into dialogue with a new chapter of interpretation and engagement.

The event functioned as a space for dialogue between veteran Tuồng artists, younger Tuồng practitioners, and emerging creative voices.

Hạ Hồi Talkshow: The Next Chapter was conceived as an open platform for connection, conversation, and inspiration, bringing together younger audiences and long-standing practitioners of Tuồng. Through live demonstrations combined with presentations by artists and experts, the programme offered an immersive experience, allowing audiences to explore the cultural depth, performance techniques, and distinctive artistic values of Tuồng.

Artists interacting with audiences at Hạ Hồi Talkshow (Photo: Nhân Dân)

A key contribution to the formation of the project comes from a committed and experienced creative team. Bùi Yến Linh, as Head of the organising committee, oversees content direction and manages the overall programme of Hạ Hồi. Master artist Tạ Văn Sốp, former Deputy Director of the Vietnam Tuồng Theatre, accompanies the project with extensive professional knowledge and performance experience. In addition, younger artists such as Nguyễn Thị Thanh Phương and Tuấn Hiệp participate in live demonstrations, creating a bridge between traditional Tuồng practice and contemporary sensibilities.

The documentary component is directed by Nguyễn Hữu Thái Sơn, whose background in film studies in Canada brings a renewed perspective, enabling Tuồng’s storytelling language to enter contemporary cinematic space with greater expressiveness. A wider network of young advisors and creatives from fields including media, design, and theatre also contribute to branding, production, and the reimagining of audience experience.

Notably, the event also marks the official launch of “Hạ Hồi” as a cultural brand—an initiative dedicated to preserving, developing, and modernising traditional arts, with the ambition of bringing Tuồng closer to contemporary communities.

Following this event, the project will continue with a series of upcoming activities, including Hạ Hồi Tour – “River of Tuồng”, scheduled for 16 August 2025 in Bắc Ninh; Hạ Hồi Podcast – “Reverie on Tuồng”, to be released online from September to December 2025; and Hạ Hồi Film – “Mộng ký mẫn tuồng / Reverie on River of Tuồng”, expected to premiere in January 2026. Together, these initiatives reflect a long-term vision to guide Tuồng toward contemporary life through diverse modes of storytelling and experience.

Source:

Hanoi Creative City

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“Hạ Hồi 2025” project: Connecting Tuồng with contemporary audiences

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