A scene from modern cheo
Cheo together with some other forms of music drama are considered to be the basis of Vietnamese theatre, but it has not attracted the interest of younger generations.
For this reason, a number of music theaters and acting troupes wish to modernise the theatre by introducing material more relevant to young people. Many believe that this would be at the cost of the traditional beauty of the uniquely Vietnamese artform.
Artist Bui Duc Hanh said, “Playwrights must choose material and create characters that are compatible with the aesthetics of the traditional artform. If we modernise these aesthetics, it will turn into drama and no longer be Vietnamese cheo. We should seek content in the daily lives of people. This is how cheo was born."
Artist Quoc Truong, Deputy Director of Army Opera Theater, said, “If we don’t change, cheo will become irrelevant. New material must be created that can breathe life back into a dying art. What we must do is find a way to create new music and lyrics that are not just based off the old ones, but which will also keep the nature of cheo intact."
Artist Quoc Truong
