Phnom Penh City Guide - Culture

Traditional Cambodian 'apsara' dancing is very slow and graceful and the skills have been retained despite losing so many dancers during the Khmer Rouge years. There are performances of traditional dance, music and shadow puppetry most Friday and Saturday evenings at the Souvanna Phum Theatre, 111 Street 360, corner Street 105 (tel: (023) 987 564; website: www.shadow-puppets.org). There are occasional performances of traditional music and dance at the Chatomuk Theatre on Sisowath Quay (tel: (023) 725 119).

There are a few cinemas in the city but they show only Khmer language films. Le Cinema at the French Cultural Centre, 214 Street 184 (tel: (023) 721 383), shows current and classic French films, some with English subtitles, but check first. Movie Street Video Centre at 116 Sihanouk Boulevard (tel: (012) 913 899) offers private viewings of the latest Hollywood and European films on large televisions.

You can find information on performances in the Friday edition of the Cambodia Daily (website: www.cambodiadaily.com), The Phnom Penh Post (website: www.phnompenhpost.com), which comes out once a fortnight, and the irreverent monthly Bayon Pearnik (website: www.bayonpearnik.com).