A girl's best friend

ONE OF THE delights in going to a festival that crams a few dozen stage works into a two-week time span is that, more often than not, some major surprises are in store. Inzou Theatre Company’s “Smell: The Blind and the Dog”, seen last weekend at Creative Industries, was one such surprise. The audience, which included the press, had received little information about the play before entering the theatre, though many were aware that the Japanese work featured veteran Thai actress Narumol “Kop” Thammapruksa. 

Afterwards though, many were busy texting their friends, advising them to immediately clear their schedules and catch the last performance.

In “Smell”, delicately written and deftly staged by Atsuto Suzuki whose attention to detail was truly praiseworthy, Gotohda has just lost her dog Yosobei, her blind daughter Ayaka’s best friend, in a car accident. Fearing her daughter might not be able to cope with this big loss, she hires professional Thai actress Hom, literally “smelling good”, to portray the dog, also spraying her with a perfume similar to Yosobei’s. 

Hom has been struggling finding a role in theatre and has just broken a mask in Gotohda’s living room, so has no other choice but to take the job. It turns out to be more demanding than she expects and Banjoh, a cosmetic salesman, is asked to join her but is caught out by Ayaka when his boss calls him on his mobile phone. Hom, though, is never caught though she is replaced by a real canine in the end.

Kop was truly one of the big surprises here. Not only was she convincing as Yosobei but her command of Japanese was credible for a character who had supposedly lived in Japan for three years. 

The 80-minute play offered a good balance between drama and comedy– and even a seemingly comic character like Banjoh had a substantial dramatic part when he put make-up on Ayaka, which made her very happy.

In the end, just as audience members thought they had figured out the ending, came a major plot twist that highlighted the theme. Another component was the live percussion, both western and Japanese, which added to the mood of the story, without making it too melodramatic.

I was suddenly reminded of my dog who recently passed away, after 15 years with us, yet I still kept waiting for her to greet me at the gate late in the evening when everybody is already in bed. Recently, my mother turned down my offer to find another dog, saying, “I don’t want to see another dog die”. There are too many things in our lives that are simply irreplaceable.

Bangkok Theatre Festival is still on, and so it’s time to turn off your TV and head out to a venue not far from your home. You never know what you’re going to get but most of the time it’s different from what you can see while relaxing in your sofa. 

 

"GIRL X” MARKS THE SPOT

>>>The Bangkok Theatre Festival runs until November 16 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and other venues.

>>> With the support from Japan Foundation, Hanchu-Yuei’s “Girl X”, a 2.5-dimension theatrical work set after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, is on stage at 7.30pm tomorrow and 2 and 7.30pm on Saturday at the Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts on Henri Dunant road near Siam Square. It’s in Japanese with English surtitles. Tickets cost Bt600 (Bt300 for students; Bt 400 for Japan Foundation members). Call (02) 218 4802 and (081) 559 7252. 

>>> Hanchu-Yuei’s workshop on non-verbal communication takes place today from 1 to 4pm. Admission is free.

>>> Find out more at www.BangkokTheatreFestival.com, www.JFBKK.or.th, and www.Facebook.com/dramaartschula.