The programme will be jointly organised by Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnamese Embassy in France and Vietnam’s Permanent Mission to UNESCO, along with other relevant government agencies and arts organisations.

The event stems from an initiative by Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam, and coincides with the 50th anniversary of Vietnam joining UNESCO.

Announcing the programme on October 2, Deputy Foreign Minister Ngo Le Van emphasised that Paris, the capital of a strategic partner and a global cultural and artistic centre that hosts UNESCO headquarters, offers a fitting venue to showcase Vietnam’s modern, internationally integrated identity and strengthen connections with France’s Vietnamese community of about 300,000 people.

“We believe theatre can help French and international audiences gain a deeper appreciation of Vietnam’s cultural heritage. Vietnam and France share longstanding historical ties, and theatre can serve as a natural bridge for continued dialogue, mutual understanding and closer connections between the two peoples,” the diplomat stated.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Ta Quang Dong said Vietnam Theatre Week would go beyond a series of performances, aiming to lay the groundwork for longer-term cooperation through co-productions, artist exchanges and professional training.

Performances will be staged at some of Paris’s renowned arts venues, including the Théâtre Marigny, Le Grand Rex and Le Carreau du Temple. The week will feature a range of Vietnamese theatrical traditions, from water puppetry at Place de la Bastille to tuồng (classical drama), chèo (folk opera) and cải lương (reformed opera) from northern, central and southern Vietnam, alongside the contemporary ballet production Dó.

Notably, a new production of the late playwright Luu Quang Vu’s Hồn Trương Ba da hàng thịt (Truong Ba's Soul in Butcher's Body) will be directed by French director Anne-Laure Liégeois and performed by Vietnamese actors.

France’s Nice marks Vietnam's Mid-Autumn Festival with biggest celebration

Lion dance drums, lantern displays, folk songs and traditional dance filled Nice city, southern France, with the sounds and sights of Vietnam's Mid-Autumn Festival this year.