Born again theatre

In a sign that life is slowly getting back to normal after the floods, Theatre 8X8 presented the new play “Reincarnate” (“Kerd-Dab”) at the Pridi Banomyong Institute last week. On the other hand, its scheduling over three mid-week evenings was a sign that life’s not entirely normal just yet.
In this piece, which will be staged again soon, Silpathorn Award-winning artist Nikorn Saetang delves into Thai myths and beliefs about the afterlife, karma and reincarnation.
A granny began the proceeding by offering cups of tea to members of the audience, reminiscent of Nikorn’s “Girl of the Soil”. In this case, though, as was soon revealed, this was the tea you drink before being reborn that makes you forget your previous life.
A character called Somphop refused to drink and proceeded through his incarnations in full recall of what had gone before, alone in this knowledge among the loved ones who were travelling with him through many lifetimes.
Nikorn cleverly avoided drawing any clear conclusions about the afterlife, but most viewers would come away realising how important it is to do good deeds in the present, without considering their effect in another life. The message was important enough to make this a worthwhile show.
Such serious matters were well balanced with jokes in the 70-minute play. Essence and entertainment were in harmony.
And Nikorn chose just the right moments for his actors to interact with the viewers. To the delight of many, I was appointed “police dog of the year” in one hilarious scene.
The stage had no set or props and the audience surrounded the action on all four sides. Pornchanok Kanchanabanka, who composed the music, played cello in one corner, well removed from the acting space but adding much emotion.
The auditorium’s pale walls limited the effect of the stage lighting. The English surtitles projected on a side wall offered a good translation, a little stiff but quite helpful for the foreigners watching.
English surtitles evidently have become standard practice for 8X8. Other troupes should take note, because more and more expatriates are turning out to see contemporary Thai theatre.
As he usually does, Nikorn managed to create a tight acting ensemble, but unfortunately veteran Suchawadee “Cherry” Phetphanomphorn, who played the granny, was light years ahead of the others.
The other four actors included three recent graduates and one current student of Burapha University. Their energy, concentration and characterisations deserve praise, but they seemed too tense to deliver their lines naturally (notwithstanding the fact that they were portraying dead people).
Inexperienced actors stick out like sore thumbs because they tend to overemphasise the last syllable of each line. I remembered my teacher Janaprakal Chandruang, another Silpathorn artist, telling his actors before each performance, “It’s a play – have fun!”
Nikorn plans to re-stage “Reincarnate” with an all-professional 8X8 cast during the Bangkok Theatre Festival from February 18 to March 4. What we saw last week might be considered “the flood version”.
Keep track of Nikorn and his company on the “Theatre 8X8” page at Facebook.