THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
nationthailand

Love, life and theatre

Love, life and theatre

Bangkok Theatre Festival Asia Focus 2017, one of four major events being organised in the field of digital, creative, culture and high-value services as part of the government’s plan to make Thailand into the international and mega-event hub in Asia, will be held at Thonglor Art Space from May 26 to June 4.

One of the most anticipated contemporary performance arts festivals in Thailand, the event seeks to strengthen connections between a network of performance arts communities in Thailand and in Asia. This upcoming festival consists of three noteworthy performances: “Len Likay, Play of My Life”, “Open Water” and “Beloved.”
Theatrical actor and director Pradit Prasartthong will stage “Len Likay, Play of My Life,” a contemporary performance reflecting on his role as a performer and the difficulties he’s faced as an artist during 30 years of unrest, form May 26 to 28 at 8pm.

 

Love, life and theatre


At 4pm on the same dates, “Open Water (Work in Progress)” will be performed. This collaboration between Thai artist Jaturachai Srichanwanpen and Singaporean talent Tan Shou Chen looks at the theatre world in both countries. The performance will elaborate on a lecture about how the two collaborate and conduct research.
“Open Water” uses Water Myths as a starting thematic point. As a destructive force, water floods, destroys, and demolishes. As a birth force, it grows, rejuvenates and revives. Water, both life-giving and life-taking, is a recurrent trope in Singapore and Thailand culture.

 

Love, life and theatre


“Beloved”, which will be performed from June 2 to 4 at 8pm, examines the history of ritual lovemaking. Inspired by an Angkorian custom recorded in the thirteenth century – in which the Khmer king made nightly sexual unions with a naga to ensure fertility of the land –“Beloved” situates the love between men in the ritual-poetic space in which Khmer dance is set, mirroring and shaping, stretching and rechoreographing the image of the ultimate social order.
A panel discussion on Asian theatre will be held on June 4 at 2pm.
Tickets for “Beloved” and “Len Likay, Play of My Life” are Bt550 while those for “Open Water” are Bt350 An advance ticket package for all three shows is Bt1,000 and available through May 20. Visit www.BangkokTheatreFestival.org or call (095) 924 4555.
 

nationthailand