Back for more discussion

Even before her playwriting and directorial debut, 2012’s “Bang Lamerd”, B-Floor Theatre’s Ornanong “Golf” Thaisriwong had already established herself as one of the most highly lauded actresses in Thailand. Her accolades include, among others, the best actress award from Bangkok Theatre Festival 2009, for her portrayal of the title character in “Sao Chaona”.

Golf won even more praise for “Bang Lamerd”, a solo performance that provokes thought about freedom of speech in Thailand, and which received the best original script award at the inaugural International Association of Theatre Critics Thailand Awards.

For this restaging of the work, a timely one considering the current state of Thai politics, Golf says, “It’s my priority to keep the neutral tone in this work. And in comparison to [B-Floor’s artistic director] Ka-ge’s recently staged ‘Satapana’, I think I’m more compromising.”

While the overall structure of the performance is similar to the original, Golf says, “We need to discuss the fact that our current government is not the issue of an election. I’m not doing this verbally of course, but the audience will understand what I’m trying to ask them to think about.” 

A great deal of consideration has been put into this restage. “I think many artists are not sure whether we’re allowed to do this or that. I feel this hesitancy, or fear, is the most important obstacle at the moment. But taking into account the tone of this work and notwithstanding my political standpoint, both B-Floor and Thong Lor Art Space concur that we’re neither provoking emotions or causing trouble, but encouraging more conversation and discussion on this topic.” 

Almost three years ago, “Bang Lamerd” premiered at B-Floor Room in Pridi Banomyong Institute, which Golf refers to as “a safe zone”. She later performed it at Burapha University and recalls that the venue was definitely not a safe zone. 

“Some audience members’ reactions were so strong that our production team was looking at one another, saying, ‘Will we be able to get out of here safely?’”

This restage of “Bang Lamerd” will be on the rooftop of Thong Lor Art Space. 

“They offered me other spaces on other floors as well but this one looks totally deserted and I think it fits this performance, especially the subtitle ‘The land we do not own’.” 

In the wake of Charlie Hebdo massacre and how it relates to us here in Thailand, Golf has added a scene on the price we have to pay for freedom of speech. 

“From time to time, we need to be reminded that if we just sit back and relax we may not always get freedom of speech and the price we pay for it varies – the highest price being our lives of course.”

“I was in a taxi the other day listening to a radio programme. An old woman called in and expressed the opinion that we don’t even need a constitution. “Everything is safe and sound now,” she said.

Clearly, we need to watch “Bang Lamerd” again.

 

WHAT DO YOU THINK?