Theater Shows By Lune Production – Teh Dar

Things to Do | Attractions
6pm - see link to booking schedule below for availablity
Dong Hiep Park, Nguyen Phuc Chu St, An Hoi Islet
$$$

Updated September 2022

LUNE PRODUCTION’S TEH DAR RE-OPENS 1 OCTOBER, 2022

See: Booking Schedule 

Teh Dar by Lune Production is mesmerizing and enchanting in turns. Oscillating between frenzied action and calmer, poignant moments, it symbolically imagines life as lived by the ethnic minorities in the mountainous regions of Vietnam. Teh Dar literally means ‘going in circle’ and the circle metaphor looms large throughout the production – birth, death and re-birth if you like. Physically too, circles are everywhere suggesting no beginning and no end.

The production is world-class on every front. The all-important traditional music performed on impressive age-old Tay Nguyenese instruments, especially horns, drums and gongs alongside harmonically eerie and arresting vocals transports one, not just to the highlands, but seemingly back in time to a tribal world several millennia ago. The choreography is refreshingly original and the lighting bold and impactive.

In a simple but impressive bamboo cirque we encounter many aspects of tribal life – from wild animal hunts to festive feasts, from bold warfare to moonlit romance. Throughout, the performers are spinning and twirling in circles with astonishing dexterity and dizzying skill.

Teh Dar can be appreciated on many levels. Children love it for its color, movement and tumbling acrobatics. Adults will enjoy that for sure but they’ll also be intrigued by insights into an almost lost ancient tribal culture that’s still hanging in patches in the highlands around the Lao border. 

This reviewer found it haunting, fascinating and positively thrilling. And, having seen two Lune Production shows now, I can unhesitatingly say that if you visit Vietnam and don’t see one, then that’s a great opportunity missed.

Lune Production hosts a cycle of shows in Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. For up-to-date details, and to book, see their complete program.

Written By
Stuart Neal

Former publisher at ABC Books and Consultant Publisher at Allen & Unwin in Australia, Stuart Neal is co-founder of the travel website, Hoi An Now.

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