Musical «Không Gia Đình» (Nobody's Boy / Sans Famille)

   An orphan boy sold to a travelling showman, a poor but decent old street musician, a dog called Capi and a monkey called Joli-Cœur: a book several generations grew up with, retold with a live band, songs and choreography. It is an afternoon show in central Hanoi, early enough for the family to still have dinner together.

   The musical is adapted from «Sans Famille» by the French writer Hector Malot, first published in Paris in 1878. The staging keeps the adventure line of the novel: a child growing up through loss and hardship, and the plain answer the book leaves behind — a family is where you are loved and where you belong.

   What went into the Nhà hát Tuổi Trẻ production:

• — directed by Lê Ánh Tuyết, script by Bùi Hồng Quế
• — music edited by Lê Ánh Tuyết and Trần Thế Cường, arrangements by Vũ Huyền Trung, Nguyễn Hồng Sơn and Nguyễn Lâm Tới
• — Vietnamese lyrics and vocal coaching by Trần Thế Cường, Nguyễn Hải Yến and Nguyễn Tuấn Nghĩa
• — set design by Đặng Minh Tuấn, lighting by Lưu Hải Phong, costumes by Hoàng Tùng and Hoàng Hòe
• — choreography by Nguyễn Vũ Khánh, Nguyễn Thành Công and Nguyễn Trần Phương; artistic direction by Nguyễn Sĩ Tiến

   It suits children who have read the book or are about to, and parents who grew up with Rémi themselves. The story does not hide the hunger, the cold or the partings, yet it always keeps one light on: keep walking and you will find your way home.

   In September the theatre gives the piece two afternoon showings, on the 13th and the 27th; each has its own booking page, so make sure you pick the date you actually want. Doors open an hour before curtain and seating is split into three blocks, A, B and C. The theatre does not publish prices on the listing page — the figure appears once you pick a seat on the plan.

   The performance is in Vietnamese. Most of it is carried by songs, dance and music, so younger children who cannot yet follow dialogue still keep hold of the story.

   Book one September afternoon, walk the road with Rémi and come home a little lighter.