Public rehearsal · Tum Teav, the ‘Cambodian Romeo and Juliet’

14 Nov

1 Place Aristide Briand, 02600 Villers-Cotterêts

Regarded as the ‘Cambodian Romeo and Juliet’, *Tum Teav* explores highly topical themes: forbidden love, family pressure and class relations. This romantic tragedy from the mid-19th century holds a prominent place in Cambodian culture.

To mark the 20th Francophonie Summit in Phnom Penh – the 19th having been hosted in Villers-Cotterêts in 2024 – the Cité is travelling to Cambodia and staging a programme that reflects its ethos in the French Pavilion. To mark its presence in Cambodia, the Cité is building bridges with this French-speaking region and inviting two Cambodian contemporary theatre artists – Borey Tep and Niyalic Khun – to perform within its walls. *Tum Teav* tells the tragic love story of Tum, a young Buddhist novice with a remarkable voice, and Teav, a young woman subject to the decisions of her mother, Yeay Phan. Regarded as the ‘Cambodian Romeo and Juliet’, Tum Teav tackles highly topical themes: forbidden love, family pressure, the weight of collective identity, class relations and the abuse of power. Taught in secondary schools for several generations, this mid-19th-century romantic tragedy occupies a major place in Cambodian culture. Drawing on the oral tradition, poetry and musicality of contemporary Khmer, Borey Tep and Nyalic Khun continue their work of reinterpreting *Tum Teav* in French and Khmer, enabling the Cité’s audience to discover this story, which weaves together family, social and political tensions.

Automatically translated

Listing provided by Agence Aisne Tourisme (updated by the source on 24/09/2026).

Tourist office data: DATAtourisme, Licence Ouverte (French open licence), updated 22 October 2026.