Humour, pop tunes give likay a lift
Audiences swell for the Aekchai Rachan troupe thanks to a little modern allure
WHILE likay – traditional folk theatre – continues to fade in Thailand society, young actor Nitikorn Changsuwan and his Aekchai Rachan troupe are seeing a revival thanks to their use of pop music, comedy and faster pacing.
The troupe recently performed at a Bangkok temple and drew a big crowd of mostly young people. “I’ve noticed an increase in the number of spectators over the past 10 years and that more young people are coming to watch,” says Nitikorn.
Likay was once an immensely popular form of entertainment, with performers clad in flamboyant sequinned costumes and colourful makeup, travelling around with mobile stages and garishly painted backdrops. The show goes on across the land, but draws far less interest thanks to television, cinema and now the Internet and social media.
After a long prelude with a piphat orchestra playing classical Thai music, the actors enact a story that’s sketched out by the troupe’s storyteller. They sing improvised verses and dance.
The plot repertoire is based on old folk tales that can be quasi-historical, melodramatic or taken from Thai literature or tragic love stories. Performances are always embellished with humour and happy endings. The main cast includes the hero, the heroine, the villain, the villainess and the joker.
In the larger cities, the number of likay troupes has diminished in recent years, but the art form remains popular in rural areas and features at fairs, festivals and temple ceremonies.
The fans are most likely to be elderly.
