Lenong is a form of theatre traditional to the Betawi people of Jakarta, Indonesia.

[1] Performances can be classified under many genres, although most are about heroes or criminals; tales adapted from folklore, such as from the One Thousand and One Nights, are also common.

In its earlier years, beginning around the turn of the twentieth century, it was promoted by ethnic Chinese.

[4] These bandits, though portrayed as despicable people by Dutch and ethnic Chinese writers, became more Robin Hood-like in lenong; Si Pitung, for instance, became a humble person, a good Muslim, a hero of Betawi people, and an upholder of justice.

Meanwhile, lenong performances were unable to compete in the market due to the booming domestic film industry.

[5] In this atmosphere, cultural critic and film director D. Djajakusuma worked to promote and preserve lenong, with regular performances at Taman Ismail Marzuki; as a result, S. M. Ardan considers him as having saved the genre.

[7] Many lenong actors, including Benyamin Sueb, Mandra, and Enung Tile bin Bayan, began making films in the 1970s.