Entered the dragon

 In a year where the number of stage musicals has already reached a record high – we’re now seeing one musical a month – “Mangkon Salat Kret: The Musical”, which was staged over one weekend late last month at the Thailand Cultural Centre, both entertained and engaged the audience.

While the production was to celebrate the centenary of the former director of the Bank of Thailand next year and fully supported by the Thammasat Economics Association as well as Thammasat University’s Faculty of Political Sciences and of course the Bank of Thailand, it never felt like a charity event for alumni or those related to these institutions. Instead, this contemporary Thai theatre production could easily be enjoyed by the general Thai public. That was thanks in major part to the deft script and keen direction by Silpathorn artist Pradit Prasartthong and his main collaborator, composer and music director Gandhi Wasuvitchayagit, as well as their choice of the adapted style of lakhon rong.

However, the subject matter, the life and works of economist and educator Puey Ungpakorn, many parts of which are strongly related to the here and now socially, culturally and politically, is much too extensive for a musical in four parts. As a result, it looked and felt like a re-introduction to this former member of the Free Thai Movement who was rector of Thammasat University during the 1970s student uprisings.

For example, the first part when the young Puey was denying his Chinese background was a complete work in itself when it was seen at “Silpathorn: A decade of success in Thai contemporary art” last year. The severe editing meant that many important details were sacrificed. The third part when Puey was working at the Bank of Thailand and in conflict with politicians – and which remains relevant to our current corruption problems – could have been further expanded into another complete work.

National Artist Suprawat Pattamasoot and Kornkan Sutthikoses, portraying Puey in his young and senior years, were as arresting in their dialogues and songs as they were in “Hom Rong: The Musical”, so much so that many audience members were left wondering why Navin Yavapolkul needed to be cast as the middle-aged Puey. As his British wife Margaret, veteran actress Montakan Ransibrahmanakul’s performance eclipsed those by Primrata Det-udom and Duangjai Hirunsri and she could have credibly and single-handedly portrayed her through different time periods.

Other seasoned stage actors filled the supporting roles and had their brief moments in the spotlight but it was evident that many could easily have been cast in multiple roles to cut down on costs and to increase their stage time by making full use of their prowess.

This leads to a note that while the number of cast members of West End and Broadway musicals is decreasing, ours is going in the opposite direction, and that’s probably why we can produce fewer musicals.

Word is spreading that the musical will soon be revived, and deservedly so, but I do wish that Pradit, and his producers, would reconsider his original idea of presenting it in four parts. This would allow the audience more time to hear and see what happened then and relate those events to what’s happening now, thus ensuring that this dragon is at his full strength.