Chèo aspires to become Hanoians weekend amusement

Hanoians and foreign visitors can enjoy Chèo plays (traditional Vietnamese opera) every Saturday night at Dai Nam theatre from this June.

The Hanoi Cheo Theater has launched the initiative called Hanoi Saturday Night to lure back public interest on this traditional art genre.  The weekly programme will feature Chèo performances (both ancient and modern Chèo) as well as comedy and Chầu văn (ritual songs) performances.
The artists have been preparing for Hanoi's Saturday Night from early this year with the works to be performed  chosen meticulously for rehearsal. 
Cheo audience usually come in groups of dozen. For the first performance on June 3, tickets are already sold out with  prices as low as possible to make it affordable for Chèo lovers. In addition,   as the theater  has nice facilities, well-located in Hanoi downtown, people will not skip this Saturday Night at Dai Nam theater in their list of weekend choices.  The  upcoming repertoires line up for the first three months is ready. Famous works that helped build the reputation of Hanoi's Chèo in the past will be staged, including Quan Âm Thị Kính (Goddess of Mercy), Ngọc Hân Công Chúa (Princess Ngọc Hân) and Nàng Sita (Sita).
In addition, every month, there will also be a performance featuring 12 acts of trance to introduce the practice of Mother Goddess worship, which was recognised by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last year.
Chèo is a genre of musical theatre, often encompassing dance, traditionally performed by Vietnamese peasants in northern Vietnam. It is usually performed outdoors by semi-amateur touring groups, stereotypically in a communal house courtyard. Today it is increasingly performed indoors and by professional performers.
Chèo's origins date to the 12th century during the Lý Dynasty and has existed in its present form since roughly the 16th century. It derives from folk traditions, and was orally transmitted; unlike courtly theater traditions, it employs no scenery and sparse costumes and makeup. It involves a combination of traditional set pieces and improvisational routines appropriate to amateur theatre.
Like the Commedia dell'arte, it often carries of a message of satirical criticism of the existing social order. The traditional musical ensemble consisted of fiddle, flute, and drum, though in modern recreations more instruments are used.