Randai

Randai is a folk theater tradition of the Minangkabau ethnic group of West Sumatra, Indonesia, which incorporates music, singing, dance, drama and the martial art of silat. It originated early in the twentieth century out of a fusion of local martial arts, storytelling and other performance traditions. Randai is usually performed for traditional ceremonies and festivals, with complex stories sometimes spanning a number of nights, and is performed as theatre in the round to achieve equality and unity between audience members and performers. Its stories are delivered through both acting and singing and are mostly based on Minangkabau legends and folktales. Men originally played both the male and female characters, but women have also participated since the 1960s.