“Súy Vân Feigns Madness”: Canonisation and Creativity in Vietnamese Music Theatre

Abstract This article explores the canonisation of chèo music theatre in Vietnam since the early twentieth century. Focusing on the reform of the classical chèo play “Súy Vân,” it examines the confluence of factors—the political and cultural currents and the networks of actors—involved in canon formation. In this historical account of canonisation, chèo is positioned within an enlarged conversation about tradition, in which tradition is understood as a space for creativity that has recourse to the past while undergoing continual transformation. Moving beyond the canon, questions about the nature of tradition and artistic creativity in Vietnamese music theatre are also explored through analysis of recent experimental work by the artist Sơn X.