Behind every independence story are the voices of unsung heroes. Việt Nam Drama Theater’s first musical with a patriotic theme, “Cafe Bánh Mì” (Coffee and Bread), reimagines the pre-August 1945 Revolution through a collaboration with South Korean artists from MF Creative Company, led by director Cho Joon Hui.
Still from Viet Nam Drama Theater
Formerly known as Central Van Cong Doan, the Việt Nam Drama Theater has been producing plays for the last 72 years. Decades before the August Revolution, the company was first established as the Central People’s Literature Union, when the government started to see that drama had a positive impact on morale. Later, the performance troupe became vital in the war against the French, as performances were used as a way to rally the resistance.
Throughout the years, the performance group has prided itself on its foreign affairs program, collaborating with other countries and aiming to integrate into the flow of the world theater scene. Hence, Cafe Bánh Mì came to life. In an interview with Vietnam News, director Cho Joon Hui shared why the play turned into a musical, saying, “When I was a high school student, I was impressed by Vietnamese performing arts, which are traditional and unique. I still remember the first Vietnamese performance I saw; it was a water puppet show about working life and family life. I found it fascinating and funny.”
Through extensive firsthand research and Cho’s expertise on musical theater, Cafe Bánh Mì aims to shine a light on the lesser known stories from Vietnam’s past. Set during the August Revolution, the musical explored the stories of patriotic citizens who sacrificed their lives in pursuit of independence.
Locally, the musical was performed for a limited time run for Vietnam’s National Day in September, and was received with appreciation from the crowd for its cultural depth. While the run is currently on hiatus, director Hiu shared that they have plans to bring the musical to South Korea, Japan, and France, to share the story of Vietnam’s fight for freedom with the rest of the world.
“We want to contribute to making something amazing. Coffee and Baguette is the first musical we have made in Việt Nam. Hopefully it will become one of several seeds that can be sown for a successful harvest for Vietnamese musicals in the near future,” shared Hiu.