Khuoc village in Thai Binh province popularizes traditional Cheo theater- Photo: baothaibinh.com.vn

Headed by artist Cao Thi Bac, the Cheo club of Khuoc village has 16 members, who have been passionate about the traditional theatre genre since their childhood. They are now teaching the younger generation to perform Cheo. 67-year old Cao Thi Bac said: “We want to inspire younger villagers and the children of artists to learn more about Cheo. We often perform Cheo on major occasions of the village. Our efforts to preserve and promote have been paid. Our club has become popular beyond the village. We are very happy because the audience loves our plays and shares our passion for Cheo”.

Photo: sankhau.com.vn

The artists in the club record and film their plays with brief introductions to Cheo theater in Khuoc village and post them on Facebook and Youtube to further promote this genre of theater and inspire wider audience. Bac says that by doing that, the club has become more popular: “We are often invited to perform at traditional festivals year after year. Some foreigners want to learn Cheo.  We also receive orders from tourist companies.  The foreigners cannot sing because they don’t understand Vietnamese but we try to show them the beauty of the Cheo. It’s really fun.”

Photo: sankhau.com.vn

Like other members in the club, Vu Le Nham, Deputy Head of Cheo club in Khuoc village, has mastered all the techniques: “Members of the club are farmers. Some of them are traders, but we are all ready for any performance. We want to preserve and promote the Cheo theater of our village. We perform both traditional version and new adaptations.”

Quach Thi Thu, a member of the club, has been passionate about Cheo since her childhood, but only recently has she joined the club: “I have loved Cheo since I was small. I teach my children how to perform Cheo in the hope of preserving this art. Cheo theater is part of our traditional culture.”