hat boi

Hát bội, also known as hát bội or hát tuồng, is a Vietnamese opera that is an adaptation of Chinese opera. It was historically supported by kings and provincial mandarins as a court art but was also performed for popular audiences, particularly in central Vietnam. The art form was introduced to Vietnam in the 13th century and evolved to blend Chinese and Vietnamese elements.

The operas are classified as military or domestic. Military plays often draw from Chinese and Vietnamese legends or history, focusing on power struggles between kings, while domestic plays depict the lives of commoners with alternating humorous and suffering scenes. The Confucian ethic of obligation underlies plays of both types.

Hát bội staging follows conventions of Chinese opera, with actors performing on a bare stage using a table and two chairs to represent various settings. Costume and makeup are symbolic, indicating character types. Conventionalized mime and symbolic properties are used, accompanied by percussion and stringed instruments for action and songs.