Lakhon Bassac or Lakon Bassak (Khmer: ល្ខោនបាសាក់) is a popular theatre of Cambodia, created by Khmer people near the Bassac River in southern Vietnam at the beginning of the 20th century.
[1] It is derived from Chinese opera which explains some of the costumes, modified face painting, musical instrumentations (drums, gongs, chimes, and wood blocks), singing dialogues, acrobatics and fighting.
Musically it appears similar to pinpeat versions of Vietnamese cải lương.
"[3] Before the Democratic Kampuchea era, professional troupes performed in Phnom Penh, Battambang, Siem Reap and other cities, while amateurs staged shows at religious festivals.
Unlike many other forms of traditional arts, it was not destroyed under the Khmer Rouge, but rather co-opted for propaganda purposes.