The Hanoi Cheo Theater has released a play called Magic Sticky Rice or The Story of Bom, directed by Meritorious Artist Le Tuan.

The play will be performed at schools in the capital from the beginning of 2024 in response to the project "Introducing cheo (traditional operetta) plays adapted from famous literary works of Vietnam and the world at Hanoi-based primary and secondary schools in the period of 2022-2030."

A scene in the cheo play Thang Bom. Photo courtesy of Hanoi Cheo Theater

Inspired by the famous folk song Thang Bom - one of the most popular songs in the treasure of Vietnamese folklore, author Thien An wrote a stage art script about the rural life in the north, depicting agricultural activities, ordinary life and folk games.

The story of Bom is a funny one, because Bom is only a poor guy and he has a fan made of areca (an ordinary object of low value), but Phu Ong, the rich guy, wants to get it by exchanging anything he can afford for it.

Through the new plot, the cheo play emphasizes faithful friendship, willingness to sacrifice for others, humanity, diligence, and always doing good.

Playwright Mai Van Sinh adapted this script into a cheo play. It is a unique theatrical work, imbued with folklore identity from its content to its form of expression.

Puzzles, dialogues, rhymes, and folk games such as blindfolding to catch goats, dragon, and snake in the clouds were skillfully incorporated by the director to make the play interesting and lifelike. In addition, the play's attractiveness was enhanced by the interaction between the actors and the audience.

The main actors in the play are all excellent artists of the Hanoi Cheo Theater.

According to the Hanoi Cheo Theater, this is one of the important plays of this unit in 2023. It contributes to bringing cheo closer to young people, especially students from primary to junior high schools, to help students better understand cheo and traditional arts, as they will be a new generation of audiences for traditional performing arts.