Phantom of the Theatre

He's best known for creating such popular TV sitcoms as “Pen Tor” but Jirasak Yojiw has long had a secret passion for the challenges of the stage. 

And he has certainly set himself a challenge with his latest project: bringing 2011’s top-grossing Thai movie “Laddaland” to the Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre.

Jirasak is no stranger to horror on the stage. The last drama he directed, “Ruang Lao Khuen Fao Phee”, enjoyed considerable success when it was staged at Rachadalai two years ago

The drama, he says, will be identical to the screenplay, telling the story of marketing executive Thee (Patiparn “Mos” Pattaweekarn) who moves with his family to Chiang Mai to take up a new job. He buys a house in an upscale estate and hopes that the break from Bangkok will enhance his relationship with wife Parn (Nicole Theriault) and their two kids: Nan, a spoiled teenage girl whose feelings for her dad have been poisoned by her grandmother, and her younger brother Nat. Not long after the move, a Burmese housemaid is murdered in a nearby house and the children tell him that they can see the ghost.

Thee doesn’t believe his children and insists the family stay in the new house rather than move back to Bangkok. It’s a decision that will soon lead to tragedy. 

Clever editing and special effects combined to create much of the tension in the movie. For the stage play, Jirasak will be relying almost entirely on the skills of his actors to keep the audiences on the edge of their seats.

“Obviously the storytelling has to fit the theatrical skills and I have to say that I’m still shocked in some places even though we have rehearsed these scenes several times,” he says.

Thai audiences are more than used to horror flicks and are usually able to anticipate when a particularly spine-chilling event is about to occur. Whether the stage version of “Laddaland” will have the same effect remains to be seen, though Jirasak admits that his drama is more likely to have an impact on those who haven’t seen the movie than audiences who are already familiar with the story.

“But even the latter group will succumb to the theatrical charms,” he says.

He’s also confident that his two lead stars, both of them former pop idols, are perfect for the parts.

“I know my world would collapse if anything happened to my daughter,” says Mos. Single mum Nicole agrees. “I can understand how Parn feels trying to keep her family together and acting as the buffer between her husband and daughter.

His experience with “Ruang Lao” taught Jirasak that the greatest moment in a horror-themed play is when the entire audience spontaneously reacts to a scene.

“The advantage of a horror play is that it’s possible to create a much more intimate atmosphere. Watching the film is a little like seeing the tiger in the cage. In the play, the bars are removed and the tiger is there with us,” he says.

Jirasak explains that a horror play demands more than just drama. Production design and art direction also play major roles.

He cites “Ruang Lao” as a example. The play, which centres on a group of people at a funeral who recount ghost stories, opened quietly but those who came to see it quickly spread the word and tickets sold out. “Aside from 

 the acting, the production design also frightened the audience. People swore they could smell the toilet when the ghost appeared there as well as the incense when the characters were talking about the dead at the funeral.

“It’s how you set the scene and build the characters that count. I personally like Thee’s willingness to do everything for the family but he also demonstrates that we should never be blind to our own beliefs. He alienates his kids by accusing them of lying about seeing the ghost so they shut him out at a time when he’s most needed. Whether he personally believes in ghosts or not, he should keep an open his mind and find the answer,” says Jirasak who admits he didn’t believe in ghosts until he personally faced a frightening situation.

“His character also shows how people become too attached to possessions, in this case the house that is his pride as the head of the family. He can’t let it go to bring back his family’s happiness and that leads to the tragic ending,” says the director.

He’s also delighted to see Scenario move away from its signature musicals to a different genre that will attract a new audience group – the teens.

“Typically musicals attract adults to the theatre. With ‘Ruang Lao’, we saw a younger audience like students from middle schools. It’s great being able to create a new audience group,” he enthuses.

“Laddaland” is loosely based on strange events believed to have taken place in Chiang Mai some 30 years in a park and tourist centre near the town centre that fell into disrepair and was finally closed in the early 1980s although teenagers continued to spend time there.

 

CURTAIN TIME