Cheo (traditional Vietnamese opera) theatre is facing mounting difficulties due to a serious financial deficit and considerable unsettled debts, one official said.

Meritorious artists Thanh Ngoan, Director of Vietnam Cheo Theatre

Meritorious artists Thanh Ngoan, the theatre’s director, said at a recent meeting with leaders from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism that the institution is in desperate need for help to overcome its current difficulties.

The theatre is calling for investment to upgrade its aging infrastructure and train its human resources.

“Since I was appointed as the theatre’s director, I have had to encounter a large amount of unsettled debts. The theatre owes VND600 million (USD28,625) in insurance to its employees. I’m struggling to source capital for the theatre’s salary fund,” Ngoan noted.

According to her, despite substandard infrastructure and a tight budget, the theatre currently employs160 people. She has had to delay other expenses so as to prioritise staff payment.

"One of our broken speakers has been repaired ten times. However, it doesn’t work consistently and now we have no more funds for repairs let alone new purchases,” she said.

She said that their two stages were so aged that some artists had experienced accidents during their performances but they weren’t in a position to upgrade the building due to the lack of funding.

“We didn’t organise a ceremony to mark the theatre’s 60th anniversary as we don’t have any funds for such an event or to honour our artists either,” she added.