Origins of Chèo theatrical art

In Vietnam culture, Chèo is one of traditional theatrical art forms which is on behalf of Vietnam.

What are the origins of Chèo theatrical art?

Since the first millennium B.C., the Red river Delta has been the cradle of the Viet peoples’ wet-rice-growing civilization within a culture reliant on villages. When farmers finished harvesting, they presented the first Chèo dramas in courtyards of communal houses dedicated to the village tutelary god.

Bronze drums were part of ancient Vietnam culture. For millennia, farmers have beaten drums to ask the gods for rain. It is not surprising, therefore, that the central musical instrument of Chèo is the drum.

Chèo originated in the tenth century from folk music and dance, especially “Trò nhại” – simple mimetic skits.

Bronze statue of King Le Thanh Tong

These skits showed the lives ordinary people as well as of the royal family. Over time, writers consolidated Chèo‘s short stories based on these skits into longer, united plays.

Most significant in this development was the Vietnamese capture of a soldier from Mongolian army in the fourteenth century. The soldier was an actor who introduced Chinese opera to Vietnam. Previously, Chèo involved speaking and some times the rhythmic reciting of folk poems but no signing. As a result of the captures soldiers’ influence, Chèo turned into “Kịch hát” or sung drama.

In the fifteenth century, King Le Thanh Tong, who was deeply influenced by Confucianism, restricted the performance of Chèo in his court. Without royal patronage, Chèo returned to its original supporters, the farmers. It drew on Nom stories, which were Vietnam verse narratives the eighteenth century this form of Chèo has become widely influential. Chèo continued to develop and reached its peak by the end of nineteenth century.

Source: Chèo - Popular theatre of Vietnam culture