French contemporary theater blends with Vietnamese traditional music in Ho Chi Minh City this weekend

The performance, produced by Barcet’s French troupe Les Lions sous la Lune and presented by the French Institute in Vietnam with support from French and Vietnamese cultural organizations, reflects a shared commitment to promoting international artistic exchange.

Lasting about 45 minutes, “Bulle ou l’errance des monts vermeils” is more than a performance. It is an emotional journey that invites the audience to listen, connect, and feel.

Amid the interplay of Vietnamese traditional dan tranh music, light, and body movement, spectators are guided through a range of emotions from solitude and fear to love and acceptance.

“When we realize that there is nothing left to do but to feel, that is when we truly begin to live,” Barcet said.

Known also by his stage name Charli Bar, Barcet is a French actor, playwright, and director trained at Cours Florent, Sorbonne Nouvelle University, and Paris 8 University.

He founded Les Lions sous la Lune, a troupe that blends philosophy, poetry, and performance into emotional contemporary theater.

Barcet wrote “Bulle ou l’errance des monts vermeils” in years as part of his artistic practice, a personal journey of introspection and discovery of self, others, and love.

Bringing the play to Ho Chi Minh City, Barcet collaborates with Vietnamese artist Nguyen Ngoc Hang, a dan tranh player, dancer, choreographer, and musician with over a decade of experience.

The French director regards the dan tranh as an instrument that embodies both gentleness and strength, much like the Vietnamese spirit itself.

Meanwhile, Hang sees the project as an opportunity to explore the delicate intersection between theater performance and the sound of the traditional dan tranh zither.

A graduate of the Ho Chi Minh City Intermediate Dance School and the Military University of Culture and Arts, Nguyen Ngoc Hang founded and has directed the Ngoc Viet art ensemble since 2011.

Known for her artistry that bridges tradition and innovation, she blends Vietnamese musical heritage with international experimentation to create a refined artistic language.

“Between the dan tranh and French contemporary theater lies ‘a silk thread of art’ where cultural ‘bubbles’ meet and merge, creating a new emotional frequency,” Hang shared.

“Bulle ou l’errance des monts vermeils” will take place at Dancenter Vietnam at 53 Nguyen Dang Giai Street, An Khanh Ward (formerly Thao Dien).

French-language shows are scheduled for November 1 and 8 at 7:15 pm and November 2 at 6:30 pm, while the English-language show will be held on November 9 at 6:30 pm.