My Uncle
Sung theatre - Lakhaon Yike
Department of Performing Arts from Takeo
13 September, 7 pm, 2010
The origins of Yike theatre are obscure. The current form of Yike probably goes back to the end of the 19th century. Although it developed from small performances given by Malay seamen and merchants, it incorporated much older Khmer singing and poetry techniques, too. Several kinds of Yike exist; some of them use a curtain, which allows scenery to be changed; others, like the Yike Damkang, are more spare, with minimal scenery and the presence of all the actors on stage throughout the performance. Alternating singing, narrating and acting, Yike theatre is an all-round art.
My uncle
This fable sings the story of Meanop, fisherman working hard to satisfy continually the frustrated needs of his wife. One day, a sailor of passage offered to trade his wife with his. Can a wife change the fate of a couple or does it depend solely on the goodwill of the husband?
A cangue (/kæŋ/) or tcha is a device that was used for public humiliation and corporal punishment in China and some other parts of East Asia and Southeast Asia until the early years of the twentieth century. It was also occasionally used for or during torture. See Wikipedia