Rich threads of history

Everything promises to be dazzling about next week’s staging of Somtow Sucharitkul’s ballet-opera “Suriyothai”, not least the gorgeous costumes from the Textile Gallery’s Pasaya brand – created specifically with the birthday of Her Majesty the Queen in mind.
Her Majesty’s 81st birthday today chimes nicely with the music-in-motion celebration of Siam’s heroic warrior queen, Suriyothai, and just as fittingly brings to mind Queen Sirikit’s determination to preserve and promote Thai textiles, particularly silk, around the world, along with their unique woven patterns.
In “Suriyothai”, Somtow will debut a new fusion of the arts, combining Western “narrative ballet” with Thai dance-drama and drawing inspiration from classic temple murals. He has selected wondrous scenes from history, beginning with Thian being proclaimed the ruler of Ayutthaya and ending with Suriyothai’s stirring sacrifice to save her husband and her subjects.
The musical instruments of old Siam add charm to the power of a full symphony orchestra through two acts that together last 75 minutes, while some of Thailand’s finest singers and dancers lead a substantial cast.
Summoned to patriotic action, the Textile Gallery spent three months researching and making the costumes, says managing and design director Schle Woodthanan. He had to cast his eyes and imagination back 460 years to when Ayutthaya was the capital of Siam and a bustling, cosmopolitan trading hub with imperial claims extending far beyond Thailand’s current borders.
“The Burmese were more advanced than us at the time, and that was when they attempted to invade Siam the first time,” Schle says. “Culturally, the patterns found in textiles back then weren’t very distinctive. You can see the influence of the older Dvaravati and Lawoe periods, but the cultural perspective was influenced by Hindu art and local agricultural clothing styles.”
Queen Suriyothai’s costumes have a decidedly modern sensibility. One set features a reinterpretation of the decorative poom khao bin pattern that brings to mind the funnel floats filled with rice used as religious offerings, referring to the abundance of resources in old Ayutthaya. The other stems from the phaya naga motif. Blue, grey and brown are the key colours.
Burma’s expansionist King Tabengchaveti charges into battle in gold costumes. “The Burmese were influenced by Mahayana Buddhism and Chinese culture, and the rich gold and red represent the country’s wealth,” says Schle.
“The decorative amour also looks posh as well – it’s crocodile leather – whereas the Siamese only used woven rattan for protection. For other characters in the story, such as Westerners, we’ve mainly used purple in the costumes printed with a grape-vine pattern.”
Schle, a fan of “The Phantom of the Opera” with its ornate costuming, says he’s “certain that ‘Suriyothai’ will be a great show, especially after the Siam Sinfonetta won the international orchestra competition in Munich, Germany”.
This is the first time the Textile Gallery has collaborated on a theatre production, but Schle knows how important its costumes are, in this case representing such a rich cultural heritage on a national stage.
The Queen’s birthday should awaken more Thai textile firms to adapt aspects of the country’s history in the arts, Schle says. Her Majesty’s tireless efforts in assisting the industry have been remarkable, he adds.
“Without her efforts, especially in the use of Thai silk, the world wouldn’t recognise Thai fabrics in terms of art and culture and national identity. Thai silk has earned praise throughout the world.”
Schle points out, though, that the quantity of silk being made remains insufficient for the local textile industry, which pursues large-scale manufacturing. “Instead we can always use new technology to create fabrics that are very close to the feeling of silk and can be adapted to ‘modern Thai’ designs.”
The costumes in “Suriyothai” are in fact made of a polyester-silk-cotton blend, the silk threads lending sheen to the clothes. Schle is nevertheless full of praise for the Queen’s efforts in preserving Thai textiles and patterns in general.
“The country’s image when it comes to fabrics has been clear for many decades. Her Majesty is a role model – she’s the national textile ambassador to the world.”

INTO THE PAST
“Suriyothai” has its gala world premiere at 8pm on August 23 at the Thailand Cultural Centre.
Other performances are at 2pm on August 24 (8pm show sold out) and 2 and 8pm on August 25.
Tickets are Bt2,000 to Bt3,000 for the gala and Bt500 to Bt2,000 for the other shows. Call (02) 262 3456 or check www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.
It’s being presented in cooperation with the Department of Cultural Promotion, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, Chulalongkorn University’s “Power of the Kingdom” programme and Opera Siam International.
The suite from “Suriyothai” was performed at the Euro Festival Berlin yesterday at the invitation of festival organisers and the Thai Embassy.