The Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre was established on March 12, 1956 under an instruction of President Ho Chi Minh.
As a leading professional puppetry theatre in the country, the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre has a contingent of noted artists such as art directors, playwrights, fine arts and plastic arts artists, sound and lighting specialists, many of whom graduated from universities at home and abroad.
The Theatre has developed hundreds of big and small items of different puppet art forms such as water puppets, stick puppets, hand puppets and string puppets. It has three puppet art troupes, serving audiences throughout the country and in many countries worldwide.
The Theatre’s performance programs always play the core role in National Puppet and Stage Art Festivals and are highly appreciated in many International Stage Art Festivals. In particular it won first prize at the Prague International Puppet Festival, in the Czech Republic in 2002.
As the biggest centre of puppetry art in Vietnam, the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre has trained and helped many puppet art troupes in the country. With its great achievements, the Theatre has been presented with many Orders and Medals and other high distinctions by the Party and State.
Painter, Sculptor
Vương Duy Biên
Director of Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre
Process of operation of the Theatre – home and foreign affairs:
Since its establishment, the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre has developed nearly 100 puppet plays (short and long). In addition, it has collected, studied, restored and upgraded dozens of traditional water puppet plays and items. It has also given professional and material assistance to many local puppet guilds such as Nguyên Xá, Đông Các (Thai Binh), Nam Chấn (Ha Nam), Hồng Phong (Hai Duong), Tế Tiêu (Ha Tay), etc. The Theatre has also helped establish provincial puppet art troupes such as Hai Phong, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Daklak etc.
On performance:
The Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre has made performance tours of almost all provinces, cities, provincial towns and districts in the country. It has given thousands of performances, serving millions of audiences. In particular, the Theatre has traveled to different locations to serve children and ethnic minorities in remote areas.
On Foreign Relations:
Since 1979, the Vietnam National Puppetry Theatre has opened its door to the outside world with more than 40 performance tours to 27 countries worldwide such as Great Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Russia, Australia, Republic of Korea, China, Greece, Spain, etc. It has made 9 performance tours of one country like France. Wherever it goes in the world, disregarding language barriers, different races and religions, the Theatre is welcome with great excitement and hospitality. Foreign audiences have been attracted by Teu, the narrator of the show, Fox chasing after ducks, Tending buffalos, Bamboo flute playing, Four mythical animal dance, Phoenix Dance, Dragon spitting fire, Fairy dance etc. All of them are made of wood and manipulated on blue water surface, under sparkling light, creating a very mysterious and surprising atmosphere. It is to confirm that puppetry art is really a bridge linking Vietnamese culture with international friends.
