Artist Van Hai and production director said that recreating the classic play is a challenge. Le Ngoc Theatre usually needs 30 days to set the stage for a play but this play will need up to 45 days.

The original script consists of five sections so it has been a challenge to make a play of only 120 minutes long.

"The investment will be double that of other plays because of the very specific context. Director Tsuyoshi Sugiyama wants to bring painters from Japan to Vietnam, but we have to consider carefully because it would be costly. We also have a headache in choosing actors because we need artists of superior acting ability," said artist Van Hai.

Director Tsuyoshi Sugiyama, who has staged two famous plays for the Youth Theater, "Uncle Vania" and "Hedda Gabler", said: "King Lear is a story from 400 years ago but still has current topical value for today. This is a very difficult play. I will not experiment much, but will make it as close as possible so that people of today's era can easily understand the story written 400 years ago.”

“King Lear is the story of two families but it is the problem of many other families and society. I feel this dramatic story upset all the social order that people assumed, and they have to face the reverse values. Faced with this, people show their full character - this is the core of the drama's tragedy," said director Tsuyoshi Sugiyama.

Through the play, Tsuyoshi Sugiyama wants to show that those who are deceived and trampled on will suffer, but even those who cheat and commit crimes will also suffer and are hurt.

"I think this is also what Shakespeare wanted to show in the work to arouse awareness in each person," said director Tsuyoshi Sugiyama.

Tinh Le