No Phantom in this French opera

La Fete, the annual French-Thai cultural festival, opens this Friday, and there’s already a surprise. Instead of a grand-scale contemporary dance or a classical concert by the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra (BSO) as in previous years, the curtain raiser is local Thai company NUNi’s (Never Underestimate New Ideas) production of Francis Poulenc’s “Les Mamelles di Tiresias” (“The Breasts of Tiresias”). The Thai title is funnier – “Nang Nom Loi”, or “The Lady with the Floating Breasts”.
The production will also feature live music by the BSO under the baton of French conductor Nicolas Kruger and French soprano Pauline Courtin as the soloist.
NUNi’s co-founder and co-artistic director Pattarasuda “Khru Bua” Anuman Rajadhon, a veteran actress and director as well as guest lecturers at many universities, is at the helm of this production, which marks the nine-year-old festival’s move towards greater collaboration and exchange.
“We were approached by French cultural attache Benoit Etienne after he watched our production of ‘Dido and Aeneas’ last year,” says Khru Bua who also picked this opera.
“It’s at the top of the list of operas that we want to stage in Thailand. Its production scale is manageable. It doesn’t require 60 chorus singers or many imported soloists. Both the story and the music are very interesting. So I proposed this opera to La Fete, not least because this year marks the 50th anniversary of Poulenc’s death. Plus, NUNi has been working with the BSO for a few years and the BSO’s partnership with La Fete dates back even longer. So all the pieces of the jigsaw fit into place.
“The main message of the opera about women’s rights speaks as much to the audience today as it did in 1947 when it premiered, With many women now full-time professionals, we hear many arguments on how roles have changed and even who’s better at raising the kids – dad or mum,
“Musically speaking, it’s very concise, unlike many older operas. Its pace feels like that of a play [the opera was in fact adapted from an early 20th century play by Guillaume Apollinaire]. Every song moves the story forward and every single note has a specific purpose. Poulenc didn’t waste time repeating. The score is rather complicated but never flat. It also sounds quite modern with piano and percussion with harp adding a traditional touch.
“This is the fourth time NUNi has worked with the BSO and each of the 16 musicians is a soloist on a different instrument in this opera. I can sense that they’re having fun as it’s quite different from the regular BSO concerts.”
Khru Bua says that both Kruger and Courtin have been highly recommended by the Institut Francaise in Paris.
“They are up and coming and gaining more popularity and acclaim. Kruger has worked extensively on the other two operas by Poulenc, and is planning to work on ‘Tiresias’ later this year in France. Courtin’s repertoire also fits this opera perfectly and she’s scheduled to perform this title role later this year in Aix-en-Provence. They’ve both worked together before too, which is another plus.”
Thailand’s best baritone, and the other half of NUNi’s core, Saran Suebsantiwongse portrays the theatre director in the prologue as well as Therese’s husband. The mise-en-scene is by set designer Supatra Kruekrongsuk and lighting designer Srimontha Teravatanachai and Ubonwan Moonkanta has designed the costumes.
 
LIGHTER THAN AIR
“Les Mamelles di Tiresias” will be performed at 8pm from Friday to Sunday in the Thailand Cultural Centre’s Small Hall. It’s in French, with English and Thai surtitles.
Tickets are Bt800 and Bt 1,200 (Bt400 for students) at ThaiTicketMajor and also at the BSO office in Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Reservations by calling at  (02) 255 6617-8.
For more information, visit www.LaFete-Bangkok.com and “NUNi Productions” on Facebook.