Luk thung in love
Six actors and one musician show their talent in "monrak transistor"
While scenario's restaging of “Si Phaendin: The Musical” has been entertaining audiences at the 1,495-seat Rachadalai Theatre for almost two months, a much more modest troupe – the new Young Novice Repertory – had a mere two weekends last month to stage a new adaptation of Wat Wallayangkoon’s novel “Monrak Transistor”, which shot to fame in 2001 when Pen-ek Rattanaruang adapted it for the big screen.
In the intimate 50-seat Blue Box Studio, a converted space on the 2nd floor of M Theatre, six young actors, four of whom performed multiple roles, and one musician proved that the most important elements in a musical theatre production remain acting and singing, not elaborate sets and costumes – and that an orchestra is not always required.
Playwright and director Supawat Hongsa, whose adaptation of “Namphu” went down a treat with critics and audiences at the Bangkok Theatre Festival 2012, deserves much credit for this thoroughly entertaining production. Despite a running time of more than two hours without any intermission, the show drew no yawns or restless rustling.
Supawat wrote the play while still a student at Srinakharinwirot University, and this version looked and sounded like it had been through many keen revisions and fine editions.
Although I found some scenes were too short, giving it a film-like quality, and could have been combined with others, his transitions were swift, if not always smooth. That said, the flashbacks and flash-forwards were quite clear and effective.
It was delightful for the audience to watch the same actor perform another and very different role every bit as convincingly as the previous one after a very quick scene and costume change, demonstrating that Supawat spent much time in rehearsals with his actors, albeit at a cost to the quality of the production design.
Another surprise – and again hats off to Supawat for his bravery and innovation, which added so much to the context of the play – was the presence of music master Jitrakorn Buaniam whose accordion accompaniment was an integral part of the late luk thung master Suraphol Sombatcharoen’s legend. Here, Jitrakorn not only charmed us with his instrument, serving as a reminder of the luk thung music of the past, but also delivered some dialogue.
In the lead roles as Phaen and his wife Sadao who were separated for many years due to his dream of becoming a famous luk thung singer, young professional crooners Pasakorn Rungrueangdechaphat and Benjawan Pokasup showed that they can both sing and act.
Although they looked more comfortable when singing, their innocence and sincerity made up for it and their characterisation was always credible. Fans of TV soap “Thong Nua Kao” were also delighted to see a much wider range of skills in actress Ratawan Omthaisong whose looks don’t necessarily mean she has to always be type-cast as a working class woman.
Let’s hope that the Arts Hub Group continues to support this new group and stages this musical play once more before too long.
OPENING THIS WEEKEND
“I Didn’t Launch a Thousand Ships”, a solo performance by Sasapin Siriwanij exploring beauty myths, runs from tomorrow until September 23 (except Wednesday, Thursday and this Saturday) in the B-Floor Room at the Pridi Banomyong Institute on Soi Thong Lor. Shows are at 8pm. Tickets cost Bt 500. Call (089) 167 4039, or visit Facebook.com/BFloor.Theatre.Group.
“Adit Sanghan” (“Killing Memory”), 8X8 Theatre’s restaging of its production from last year’s Bangkok Theatre Festival is on from tomorrow to Monday and September 12 to 15 at Democrazy Theatre Studio on Soi Saphan Khu, off Rama IV Road. Shows are at 7.30pm. Tickets are Bt300. Call (089) 762 5521 or check Facebook.com/DemocrazyStudio.
