The students based “Mắt lưới” on human trafficking and the trap of promises of easy, well-paid work.
The story is set in a coastal fishing village. Nhã, a final-year student, wants to ease the financial burden on her mother and brother Hải. She believes advertisements promising easy, well-paid work and “just typing on a computer,” leaves for Cambodia and becomes a victim of a trafficking network.
The production was part of Showcase AC 2026: “Mắt lưới.” It drew about 500 people to Hanoi Drama Theatre in late September. Ams Crew has organised the annual non-profit event since 2022.
Ams Crew built the dance numbers into one continuous story, combining choreography, acting and music. This year, the group used Hải and Nhã’s journey to address human trafficking, warn about the risks and encourage young people to empathise with victims.
When Hải learns that his sister has left home, he goes to the “work office” to bring her back. He does not realise that he is entering the same trap. The scenes follow one another quickly, keeping the performance tense.
The stage then shifts to the place where the victims are held. Repeated, forceful movements portray manual labour, carrying loads and torture caused by pressure to meet targets. News segments about young people missing after scams and trafficking are set against the sweet promises made at the start.
The climax comes when authorities raid the traffickers’ hideout. In the confusion, Hải rushes to protect his sister and is killed. The hall falls silent.
“I was very impressed. I did not think high-school students could put on such a polished production. It shows how much effort they put into rehearsing,” audience member Lương Minh Tuấn said.
At the end, Nhã returns home to her mother carrying Hải’s shirt. She later becomes a teacher, as her brother had hoped, but remains haunted by what happened. The stage shifts from blue to red, while falling petals portray the mother and daughter’s grief and inner conflict.
Phạm Nguyên Vũ, a 12th-grade chemistry student, the production’s director and the actor playing the scam leader, said the group prepared for about four months: one month for the concept and three months for rehearsals.
The rehearsal schedule was irregular because members came from different classes and schools. “We usually practised at lunchtime or in the evening, and some sessions lasted until 9 or 11 p.m.,” he said. Former club members and teachers also helped organise the show.
Dương Tuấn Khải, a former Ams physics student who played Hải, said the hardest part was portraying a practical but deep older brother.
“I had to show a brother who is rough on the outside but deeply loves his mother and sister,” Khải said. He practised regularly and discussed each scene and the character’s emotions with the organisers.
Nguyễn Thị Phương Hoa, a biology teacher at Hanoi-Amsterdam and founder and CEO of 1988 Education, said the programme gave students project-based learning. It helped them practise problem-solving, teamwork, communication and product design.
She said choosing the difficult, current subject of human trafficking showed the students’ artistic maturity and social responsibility.
What impressed her most was the students’ preparation, from the stage, invitations, music and movements to the work behind the scenes. They completed the show despite financial and equipment difficulties.
Ams Crew is a dance club at Hanoi-Amsterdam High School, founded in 2021. After five years, it has had more than 500 members from high schools across Hanoi. Earlier Showcase AC seasons were called “Ảo vọng,” “Ngược dòng,” “Ẩn ức” and “Gửi lửa.”
Sources: VnExpress
