Vietnam

The traditional Vietnamese Court theater, called hat tuông or hat bôi, was codified towards the beginning of the 14th Century & since the 19th Century has become a pop theater. Hat Bôi troupes tour from village to village, giving performances in makeshift halls to large audiences.

After the August 1945 Revolution, Hat Bôi was considered by the authorities to be a product of the hated feudal system. So Hat Bôi performances were forbidden in the first few years following the revolution. The ban was soon lifted & gradually people came to recognize that Hat Bôi had its merit. When the war of resistance against the French ended, North Vietnam, which advocated the development of traditional native culture, looked after the interests of Hat Boi, puppet theatre, & other traditional theater & music. The state organized professional troupes, founded institutions doing research on these arts & opened training schools for performers. The 1960s were the best years for Hat Bôi in North Vietnam. In South Vietnam Hat Bôi troupes existed in Saigon, Da Nang, Qui Nhon, but their activities differed little from those before the August 1945 Revolution.

After the reunification of the country in 1975, conditions became favorable for a renewed development of Hat Bôi, especially in Binh Dinh & Quang Nam, which have a long Hat Boi tradition. However, efforts to preserve & develop the art of Hat Boi in the new social context are needed in order for the art form to survive.

Hat-Bôi - Vietnam Court TheaterMusic: Anthology of Traditional Music, 

Unesco Collection D8058, 1994.

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Tracklist –

Khai Trang, Nhip Mot, & Nhip Ba

Excerpt from the play Yen Phi Long Tien Chong

Than Chu (incantation)

Hat Nam

Excerpt from the play Dao Tam Xuan Bao Phu Cuu

Enjoy,

NØ