Introduction

Tuong classical opera (known as hat boi in southern Vietnam) is one of Vietnam’s oldest musical forms. Heavily stylised and relying on stock characters, make-up and symbolism, Tuong also incorporates song, dance, mime and traditional Vietnamese instruments to create morally uplifting stories in which Good always triumphs over Evil.

Origins

In 1285, a Chinese performer named Ly Nguyen Cat was captured and brought to the Dai Viet court at Thang Long (now Hanoi).Cat is believed to have taught Vietnamese court performers the techniques of Chinese zaju opera, thus creating the art form we now know as tuong. Over the next 100 years, the genre was further influenced by the introduction of ‘Southern songs’ from the Hindu kingdom of Champa, which had been occupied by the Viets.

Due to its often satirical nature, tuong was banned during the reign of King Le Thanh Tong (1460-1497), with theatrical artists being ostracised from society and prevented from attaining government positions, and thus during this time tuong became popular in the south where the talented Dao Tuy Tu introduced it to the Nguyen court some time in the early 1700s.

Tuong then underwent significant changes under the tuong-loving Nguyen dynasty, who set up a special theatre agency within the court and commissioned Chinese actors to improve the genre. The latter introduced many of the conventions of Cantonese opera, and modern tuong was born, with dedicated tuong troupes being established throughout the country.

Tuong reached its peak under King Tu Duc (1847-1883), who was a very generous patron of the arts and who had two dedicated tuong theatres built in Hue. One of those to benefit from his patronage was the legendary Dao Tan, now known as the ‘Founding Father’ of tuong. Tan wrote or revised over 40 famous tuong plays (all of which are still performed today), and popularised it amongst the Vietnamese public by arranging performances throughout the central provinces.

During the French colonial period, Vietnamese theatre became more westernised and tuong’s popularity declined both at court and with the public, whose enthusiasm for cai luong meant there were fewer audiences for tuong. However, following the end of French rule, the new Communist regime established a National Tuong Theatre to promote tuong as a key part of Vietnam’s national heritage, and a valuable expression of its struggle for independence and reunification.

Characteristics

Tuong performances are highly stylised and symbolic and thus rely on the imagination of the audience. The stage is very sparse and settings are suggested rather than portrayed. For example, a fight between two actors is used to represent a battle involving thousands of soldiers; an actor brandishing a whip is sufficient to convey the image of a man on horseback; and an actor using an oar suggests that the scene is taking place at sea or on a river.

Make-up is also important. Tuong actors are heavily made-up with stock faces, and knowledgeable audiences can immediately identify a character’s personality or social class simply by looking at their make-up. For example, a black, curly beard means the character is fierce and aggressive; a dragon’s beard suggests a king or nobleman; a fox’s or goat’s beard signifies cunning or dishonesty; and a hairless face means the character is a student.

There are several varieties of Tuong – as well as regional differences between the north, the centre and the south of Vietnam, the genre can also be divided into tuong chinh (more traditional, academic tuong) and tuong do (“folk” tuong – more comical and satirical).

Although tuong is an ancient art form, new stories with more contemporary themes (such as the struggle for national independence) continue to be added to the repertoire to ensure that it remains relevant and popular with the Vietnamese people.