refreshing from traditional materials
Instead of trying to create "differentiation" by shocking forms, many Vietnamese stage units choose to return to the depth of culture and the inner self of people as a fulcrum for experimentation. This is a prominent trend in the series of plays released in 2025.
One of the notable highlights is the effort to renew traditional materials. Cheo, Tuong, cai luong, roi... groups all seek to reduce their dependence on classic storytelling structures, instead focusing on stage rhythms, body language and symbolic tricks.
A series of socialized stage groups in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City also approached the experiment by exploiting the material for life. In the play Ao Quan of the National stage (5B theater stage), the crew did not innovate by technique, but by staged structures that caused emotional impact: The story was divided, the time was disrupted, the characters continuously dialogueed between consciousness - unconsciousness, creating special visual and psychological effects.
Units such as Sen Viet, Hong Van, Hanoi Theater Association... also showed that the experiment was moderate but improved the quality in the way the space was organized, the lighting and the dialogue. The common point is that Vietnamese artists easily find a way to innovate not from the outside, but from the culture, history, community memories and personal experiences. Identity becomes material, not a burden. Notably, the trend of "simplifying to increase inner depth" was applied by many domestic groups.
Experimentation is not a trick
If in previous years, domestic experimental stages were sometimes criticized for being prone to strange forms, this year the Vietnamese delegations clearly demonstrated the spirit of innovation based on thinking platforms. The clearest bright spot for this trend comes from young artists - a force that is contributing to changing the face of the Vietnamese stage.
In Hanoi, socialized stage groups are finding their own way of development by applying new languages to familiar stories. The play Last Night or Tomorrow the Sky Will Rising does not try to break all mold, but boldly experimentes with open structure, symbolic space and formedness, helping the story overcome the old wear and tear.
In Ho Chi Minh City, units such as Sen Viet or Hong Van are experimenting at many levels: From interactive sound design, to converting light into psychological elements, or creating iconic layers on stage that do not exist in traditional theater. These explorations make each play not only a work of entertainment, but also a visual and emotional experience.
It is worth noting that Vietnamese artists have begun to understand the spirit of " experimentation": It does not mean doing something "no one has ever done before", but finding new solutions to old questions. Innovation is not a denial of tradition, but a dialogue with tradition. The directors, screenwriters and actors are entering the process of questioning themselves: Why is this story told? how to tell? Which language is suitable for today's viewer psychology?
