Hai Phong Traditional Stage Theatre participates in the 2025 National “Cheo” Festival with the play “Red Rain”

On the evening of October 22, Hai Phong Traditional Stage Theatre performed the “Cheo” play Red Rain as part of the 2025 National “Cheo” Festival held at the Bac Ninh Provincial Cultural and Exhibition Center.
Audience watching the performance.
Red Rain is one of the representative works of writer Chu Lai, who is known as “the soldier’s pen.” The play takes the audience back to the fierce 81-day-and-night battle to defend the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel. Red Rain portrays young soldiers carrying in their hearts faith, courage, and the yearning for peace. Using the traditional language of “Cheo” combined with modern staging techniques, the work heroically and poignantly depicts those who devoted their youth, love, and even their lives to defend every sacred inch of the Fatherland. More than just a story about war, Red Rain is a symphony of memory and gratitude, where blood and tears blossom into flowers, and the fallen continue to live forever in the motherland’s embrace.
The play was brought to life by a talented creative team including
Script author: Writer Chu Lai
Adapted for “Cheo” by: Duc Minh
Director: People’s Artist Trinh Thuy Mui
Assistant Director: Tran Quoc Kien
Art Design: People’s Artist Dat Tang
Music: Meritorious Artist Dao Tuan Hai
Choreography: Hoai Anh
Traditional Singing Instructor: People’s Artist Minh Thu
Artistic Director: MA Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy – Director of Hai Phong Traditional Stage Theatre
The performance featured the ensemble of artists and actors from the Hai Phong Traditional Stage Theatre’s “Cheo” Troupe. Red Rain was also staged earlier as part of the 2023 Hai Phong Television Theatre Program.
The 2025 National “Cheo” Festival takes place from October 20 to November 2 at the Bac Ninh Provincial Cultural and Exhibition Center, bringing together 12 professional art units from across the country, with 21 elaborately produced plays and the participation of nearly 1,000 professional artists and performers.
The National “Cheo” Festival is a regular professional art event directed by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, aimed at evaluating artistic creation, performance, preservation, and promotion of the cultural values of “Cheo” art in the current period. It also serves as a venue for art troupes to exchange, learn, and improve their professional quality, thereby bringing the art of “Cheo” closer to the public.