Play «Người Vợ Ma» (The Ghost Wife)

   Some roles outlive the play they belong to, and Thủy in «Người Vợ Ma» is one of them. More than a decade ago, when the production ran at the Super Bowl theatre, the version of Thủy played by People's Artist Trịnh Kim Chi left a mark on Saigon audiences; she returns to the same role in Hồng Vân's restaged edition.

   This is the original that later produced the sequel «Ngôi Nhà Hoang», and it remains one of the company's longest-running titles. The formula is spoken drama with a supernatural spine: fright built out of light and sound, cut with the broad, very local comedy the house is known for.

   After the August, September and early October performances, the play has three more nights: Saturday, 31 October, Sunday, 8 November and Sunday, 29 November, each at 19:30, running until about 22:00.

   There is a single ticket tier, ground-floor seating; once you have paid, you contact the theatre directly to choose your seat rather than picking it online.

   If you have never seen Vietnamese spoken theatre in Ho Chi Minh City, this is the easiest way in: a well-known title, a manageable running time and a room small enough that no seat is a bad one. The play is performed in Vietnamese and the dialogue does most of the work, so bring someone who can translate the jokes. Tickets are sold through Ticketbox.