The capital is about to get two flashy new theatres – both converted from historical buildings.

The venues are Khai Tri Tien Duc House near Hoan Kiem (Sword Return) Lake and the Pupils’ and Students’ Cultural House on Thien Quang Lake .

The move comes after several artists complained that there were not enough places to perform in the city. The State has not invested any money into building new theatres in the capital since 1954.

Khai Tri Tien Duc House, which is nearly 100 years old, occupies a prime spot in the property market. One side runs along tree-lined Le Thai To Street, facing Hoan Kiem Lake . The other side looks onto Hang Trong Street . The house is right next to the King Le’s Memorial.

The building has a colourful history. When it was first built in 1910, it was the head office of the Khai Tri Tien Duc Association, a society of Hanoian intellectuals. It changed hands 44 years later and was renamed the Thong Nhat (Reunification) Club, a club for cadres from the South.

Caught up in the tide of history, the house was taken over by Vietnam Airlines in 1975, which lasted until the early 1990s, when it was renamed the National Centre for Club Method, but the club rarely opened its doors.

From intellectual centre to booking office, the latest stage in the history of Khai Tri Tien Duc House is literally a stage. The building will be revamped to become the Vietnamese Cultural Space, featuring a 300-seat theatre, an outdoor stage and an exhibition area.
The new theatre will offer a variety of art forms, said Tran Binh, director of the Central Light Music Theatre.

“The outdoor stage will be reserved for traditional arts like “cheo” (popular opera), “ca tru” (ceremonial signing) and puppetry,” he said.
The gallery, sponsored by a large insurance company, will exhibit regular shows by big names in the local art world, like Nguyen Tu Nghiem, Duong Bich Lien, Nguyen Sang and Bui Xuan Phai.

The theatre will be open every day except Monday. Equipped with a state-of-the-art audio system, the space can host symphonic music and contemporary art shows.

The second venue, the new Youth Theatre on Thien Quang Lake , is born from cooperation between the Youth Theatre and the Youth Union. According to artist Chi Trung, the teamwork “should have happened years ago, but better late than never.” The venue opened last early this month.

The theatre will be multifunctional – suitable to host artistic performances and weddings and meetings. “Many different needs will be catered for”, said Trung.

“With a stable place to perform, we can design long-term plans.”

The programme for the coming months includes the critically acclaimed comedy “Doi Cuoi” (The Comedy of Life). August will see three new comedies.
“The short-term purpose is reducing the load on the Youth Theatre at 11 Ngo Thi Nham Street which hosts four drama troupes. The medium-term goal is to build up a new stage for performance art for youth,” Chi Trung said. Students can get two-for-one tickets./.