And so the curtain closes

The postponement and cancellation of many stage productions this year was an echo of 2010, with massive flooding getting the blame this time rather than political unrest.

 But we did have some good times, didn’t we?

The year began with a pair of major festivals overlapping. Both the Fringe Festival and La Fete, the French-Thai cultural extravaganza, had patrons bouncing between the Vic Hua Hin and venues in Bangkok. 

Most memorable at the Fringe were “Space-O-Dizzy” by B-Floor Theatre and Japan’s Wangnin Bunmei. La Fete gave us the Asian premieres of Compagnie Dernire Minute’s “Micro” and Compagnie Non Nova’s “PPP”, which underscored the limitless outside-the-box possibilities of dance, theatre and music, and pointed the way forward for Thai artists.

Bangkok’s International Festival of Dance and Music enjoyed a week’s rendezvous with the Mariinsky Ballet and an unforgettable night with U-Theatre from Taiwan. 

The dance productions could be counted on one hand, but they included the Pichet Klunchun Dance Company’s “Chui Chai” and “Nijinsky Siam”. It’s unfortunate that the troupe’s new work “Black and White” premiered in Singapore this year without any Bangkok dates set. 

Jitti Chompee’s new company 18 Monkeys gave us “A Love Song”, and he’s planning to open a new venue next year. 

Inspiring developments continued to flow from small theatres like Blue Box Studio, Democrazy Theatre Studio, Crescent Moon Space and B-Floor Room, and the medium-sized ones like the Poonsuk Banomyong Auditorium.

What’s happening in these places is much more exciting than the star-studded productions presented at the big playhouses. The artists experiment and delve into social issues that are elsewhere considered too controversial or financially unworthy.

Among these bold ventures were Wasurachata Unaprom’s “Fin: Fetishism Story”, Dujdao Boonyai’s “F*ck Thong” and Nikorn Saetang’s “Reincarnate”. 

Experimenting with presentation were “1+1=1”, Dujdao’s collaboration with Nophand Boonyai and Manussa Vorasingha, as well as Nana Dakin’s “Damage Joy” and Jarunan Phantachat’s “Taste of Curry”, soon to be re-staged at the Vic Hua Hin. 

The question they raise and answer for anyone willing to listen is whether mainstream commercial theatre in Thailand could be more thought-provoking than the mindless drivel seen on TV.

To the theatre producer who said he doesn’t like watching or presenting challenging plays – preferring to make sure the audience understands everything plainly and has a good time – I can only suggest he see the Broadway musical “Wicked”. Now on tour in Singapore, it stirs the mind even as it entertains. 

If there were an award for stage troupe of the year, the 2011 prize would go to B-Floor Theatre, for its unwaveringly high quality and variety in subject matter, as seen in “Space-O-Dizzy”, “Taste of Curry”, “Flu-O-Less-Sense”, “Fool Alright”, “F*ck Thong” and “Damage Joy”. 

Such continuity earns a strong fan base, including foreigners living here. It’s also noteworthy that the troupe is so prolific because its members take turns directing, performing and producing.

For surprise hit of the year, I pick “Macbeth”, which opened the new Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts. Who would have thought that a university theatre production of a Shakespeare tragedy in Thailand would not only sell out but also have its run extended? 

Yet with almost 50 actors of different generations in the cast, the magic worked.

This year we lost three artists in mid-career who had bright futures ahead of them. We all owe a debt to dancer-choreographer Thongchai Hannarong, mime Suwat Suwandechochai, and musician-composer-actor Sakarin Srimuang.

MORE TO COME

 

Looking ahead, the Fringe Festival is all set, and it all takes place at the Vic Hua Hin. However, despite rumours, the Patravadi Theatre is not closing. 

Meanwhile “Si Phaendin: The Musical” continues into mid-February and, if it’s extended as anticipated, it will become Scenario’s longest-running musical. Scenario will then re-stage “Ghost Stories”, a play that’s more funny than scary.

In mid-January, newlyweds Nophand and Dujdao Boonyai will stage the experimental work “Therapy”, in which the actors “get help” from a different therapist at every show. 

In early February, La Fete 2012 kicks off. We can look forward to the Asian premiere of the “nouveau cirque” production “IETO”, and also “Pichet Klunchun and Myself” in which the Thai artist performs with Frenchman Jerome Bel for the last time. They’ve taken this “dance dialogue” around the world and shared the stage more than 120 times. That’s even more shows than “Si Phaendin”. 

February also brings Tim Crouch’s “An Oak Tree”, in which the Briton has a different partner every evening. When I saw the play in Australia, it was Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush, so let’s see who shares the stage with him in Bangkok. 

The 10th Bangkok Theatre Festival, postponed from November, takes place from mid-February to early March, but the programme remains unconfirmed since so many prospective participants are still cleaning up aFeter the flood. 

The organisers are even considering a permanent schedule shift to February-March in case there’s more flooding next autumn. 

Awaiting new dates is Nakarin Theatre’s FIAO Project, a fount of experimental work.

In mid-March we’ll see the human-android production “Sayonara”, the robot’s first steps outside Japan. Playwright-director Oriza Hirata (of globetrotting “Tokyo Notes” fame) has cast a very human robot built by Hiroshi Ishiguro, who’s been ranked among the “100 World Geniuses”.

Later in the year, Dreambox will stage a musical adaptation of the popular novel “Prisana”, starring many “Academy Fantasia” alumni. Index will forge ahead with another musical, “Mae Bia”. 

And August will bring “Siam Mission”, a new musical adapted from a historical account of Anna Leonowens. Sounds like a sequel to “The King and I”!