The soul of the stage

The Thailand Centre of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) made its debut last year, presenting its inaugural awards for contemporary dance and theatre in Thailand last February at a low-key ceremony at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC).

Now the IATC’s Thailand chapter has announced its nominees for 2013 and is delighted that the Culture Ministry’s Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC) and the BACC will be offering their continued support.

Leading the nominations is “Chuichai Saneha”, seen in July as part of the Demo Home-made Series at the Democrazy Theatre Studio and described by XP’s Jasmine Baker as “a bittersweet trilogy of gay and transgender stories”. The play is nominated in six categories – best play, direction, script, performance by a male actor, performance by a female actor and performance by an ensemble. 

Two “Chuichai” actors, Bandit Kaewana and Pramote Sangsorn, are up against each other for the male actor award. 

In her review, Baker wrote that Bandit “sheds his sassy self completely and truly embodies the vulnerable, demure Pranote”. She almost didn’t recognise the latter, a former teen heartthrob, as “he looked and sounded exactly like a taxi driver, and touched me the most with his honest portrayal of an innocent man who would go to extremes for his love”.

Another veteran actor who is nominated for the award is Saifah Tanthana whose portrayal of a Buddhist monk waking up in the same hotel room as a young streetwalker in “Phop Rak Mak Krasan” makes this category much more difficult to call. 

This adaptation of “The Blue Room” by Sao Soong Theatre, also at Democrazy, is up for best play too, as well as adapted script and performance by a female artist, with the nod going to Janya Thanasawangkul who performed five different roles in all 10 scenes of the play.

Another heavyweight in the same category as Janya is Ranya Siyanont whose portrayal of Miss Williams in “Roi Rak Roi Khattakam”, Dreambox’s translation of Agatha Christie’s “Go Back for Murder” is unforgettable. But who knows? The subtle and poignant performance by Tanyarat Pradittan in “Chuichai” could steal the prize. 

New Theatre Society’s “Monrak Khlong Saensaep”, seen at Crescent Moon Space, bags triple nominations for best-adapted script, direction and performance by an ensemble. Nominated for two awards are Thanapol Virulhakul’s “Transaction” also at Democrazy – for best play and direction; B-Floor Theatre’s “(In)sensitivity” and Bo Kittiporn’s “Whispers of the Shadow of a Quivering Leaf” both at B-Floor Room – for best movement-based performance and art direction. Another nominee for movement-based performance is Pichet Klunchun Dance Company’s “Black and White”.

In a year when the number of musicals significantly decreased, the nominees for best musical and best book of a musical are Anatta Theatre Group’s “2475”, Dreambox’s “Nang Phaya Ngu Khao” and TV Munk’s “Pisat Hua To”. Both “2475” and “Pisat Hua To” were at Democrazy, confirming the fact that this small theatre studio, just 10-minutes walk from Lumpini Park, is indeed the hub of contemporary Thai theatre. 

And despite proclaiming it in their ads as “the best theatre of the year”, Scenario’s “Lueat Kattiya: The Musical”, now continuing its run at Ratchadalai Theatre, failed to earn a nod for any category.

Critics have already voted unanimously for Professor Mattani Ritnin Mojdara as the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award. Khru Mat, as she’s known to many, is the founder of Thammasat University’s Department of Drama and has had a long career in theatre, having translated and staged many works, including “Death of a Salesman”, “A Streetcar Named Desire”, “Ah! Wilderness”, “The Threepenny Opera” and “Plaza Suite”.

Her book “Dance, Drama, and Theatre in Thailand: The Process of Development and Modernisation” is the most widely read and the most comprehensive English-language book on the history of Thai theatre. It’s also noteworthy that a large number of professional theatre artists working today have either studied or worked with her.

 

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

<The IATC Thailand Awards start at 6pm on February 11 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.

<For more details, check out Facebook.com/IATC.Thailand.