Artist Ba Chung: Passion for the profession on the cheo stage

From choir boy to cheo artist

Born in 1991 in Huong Lam commune, Hiep Hoa district, Bac Giang province (now Xuan Cam commune, Bac Ninh province), Nguyen Ba Chung grew up in a countryside rich in cultural traditions, where folk songs and Cheo songs permeated his soul. As a primary school student, Chung stood out in the school's art movements and was always the "choir leader" of the class.

Artist Ba Chung in the play "Thien Menh".

Whenever the commune organized a cultural festival or a Cheo troupe came to perform, Chung was always present and enthusiastically followed every song and movement of the artists. That passion grew, and after graduating from high school, he decided to take the entrance exam for the Cheo actor class of Bac Giang College of Culture, Sports and Tourism. After graduating, Ba Chung was accepted to work at Bac Giang Cheo Theatre (now Bac Ninh Cheo Theatre).

Performing Cheo is not just simply acting, it is also a delicate combination of singing, dancing, music, dialogue, movements and expressions. A role is only a few dozen minutes on stage, but the artist has to practice for a whole month. Many of Ba Chung's peers gave up after a while of entering the profession. There were nights when Ba Chung practiced singing until his voice was hoarse, but he never got discouraged. He believes that no matter what profession, if you are not passionate and do not love the profession passionately, you cannot succeed.

From a young actor, guided by directors and artists who went before him, passed on his profession along with his own efforts, Ba Chung gradually matured. With a handsome face, natural acting style, sweet voice... he was quickly trusted by the Theater's leadership and directors to take on many main roles, especially positive roles, such as: King, prince, grand tutor, leader... In each role, he invested in meticulous research to make the character soulful and profound. When transforming into a hero in battle, Ba Chung showed a strong, majestic demeanor. When he was a gentle farmer, he acted with his eyes, smile, sincerity, and simplicity. "There was a character in the play who had an arm amputated. When I was dressing up, I had to choose a suitable outfit to hide it and tie my arm tightly. It felt very uncomfortable while singing and acting at the same time. Many times, when preparing to perform, I had a high fever and a headache, but I still tried to complete my role well so as not to disappoint the audience," Ba Chung confided.

With the role of a villain, Ba Chung was also given the director many times to try his hand at and performed quite successfully. People's Artist Ta Quang Lam, Director of Bac Ninh Cheo Theater, commented: "Artist Ba Chung has a creative mind, always looking for new things in each role, converging many elements of an actor on the traditional Cheo stage, from singing voice, body to acting style. Each role has a distinct color, but Ba Chung grasps it very quickly, portraying the character's image clearly."

Keep the passion burning

During 13 years of dedication to Bac Ninh Cheo Theatre, artist Ba Chung has left a deep impression on the audience with more than 30 roles. Each role is a delicate slice of art - the crystallization of talent, dedication and burning passion for the Cheo stage. In 2013, at the National Cheo Festival held in Hai Phong, Ba Chung made a strong impression with the role of Ca Trong in the play "Ba Ba Can", bringing him the first Silver Medal of his career. Three years later, in Ninh Binh, he continued to prove his creativity when he transformed into Tran Ba in the play "The love story of the prince and the mountain girl" and was once again honored to receive the Silver Medal.

Artist Ba Chung with family.

Not stopping there, in 2019, Ba Chung affirmed his maturity in the profession with the role of General Vu Van Gioi in the play "Goi Do", continuing to win the Silver Medal at the National Cheo Festival. In 2020, he shone on the Capital stage with the role of Ly Long Tuong in the play "Hoang Thuc Ly Long Tuong" and brought home the Gold Medal - a worthy reward for his talent and serious artistic work. Four years later, at the 2024 Capital Stage Festival, Ba Chung once again affirmed his position in the contemporary Cheo village when he won the Gold Medal with the role of Long in the play "Song ven do".

During his acting career, he has received many Certificates of Merit from the Provincial People's Committee and other departments. Recently, artist Nguyen Ba Chung was one of the typical individuals awarded a Certificate of Merit by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee at the First Patriotic Emulation Congress of Bac Ninh province, period 2020-2025. Ba Chung's life partner is also one of the talented young actors of Bac Ninh Cheo Theater, always accompanying and encouraging her husband on his artistic path as well as in life.

These days, he and his colleagues are rehearsing the play "Thien Menh" directed by People's Artist Ta Quang Lam, preparing to participate in the 2025 National Cheo Festival held in Bac Giang ward, Bac Ninh province, scheduled to take place from October 20 to November 5. In this play, Ba Chung plays the main role of Grand Tutor Tran Thu Do.

Not only singing and acting well, Ba Chung also excels in many other folk art forms such as Quan Ho singing, Van singing, playing traditional musical instruments... He believes that an artist must have a deep understanding, broad knowledge, and love folk music to capture the depth and express the soul of Cheo art.

In addition to performing, Ba Chung also supports Cheo teaching classes under the "School Stage" program; restores Cheo clubs in many villages. He is always ready to participate in performances serving the people in mountainous and highland areas, where audiences have few opportunities to watch Cheo. For him, each role is a chance to live a new life, to send his love, faith and the soul of an artist to the public.

Article and photos: Cong Doanh

Source: https://baobacninhtv.vn/nghe-si-ba-chung-lua-nghe-tren-san-khau-cheo-postid429117.bbg