Dragon Dream

Background: The Thang Long company is Hanoi’s oldest Water Puppet Theatre, showcasing a proud tradition which dates back ten centuries. Verhagen was invited by the 4th International Experimental Theatre Festival to write a soundtrack for a production with the Thang Long company, which unsettled these traditions with more contemporary challenges to the form. The soundtrack was viewed as a crucial agent in this agenda. Contribution: Beyond emotional guidance and narrative support, for this production, music was also instrumental in framing the overall experience. There was a disruptive agenda required by the soundtrack evidenced by the choice to use an Australian composer with a known history of Noise, Industrial and dark composition. The experiments with the performance traditions alongside a strong the political agenda in the narrative was already confronting for audiences used to the cuter traditions of Vietnamese water puppetry. The research questioned how sound could be used to boldly frame these challenges to convention and whilst enabling and supporting the experimental approach. Significance: This was a significant opportunity for Verhagen to apply his soundtrack skills in a high risk environment. As emboldening as working with an esteemed cultural tradition was, it was also complicated by a level of conservatism of many of the attending State party officials. There was a need to balance violent confrontation within a strategically acceptable frame. The use of melodic motifs as a thread across the play served as the anchor to the heart of the narrative intent, which then earned permissions for sonic brutality across the work. The end project was enthusiastically received and is currently in negotiation to tour internationally.