It's all in the movement

They were at Centrepoint Playhouse last year, but the odd viewing angle of the hall that was modified from a cinema marred the show. And so this year, much to the delight of fans, Pantomime in Bangkok returns to its origins – the cosy and intimate Muangthai Life Assurance Auditorium.
Organised by Get Live Management and Asia Mime Creation, the programme for this year’s Pantomime in Bangkok comprises 11 playlets.
The charming Japanese couple, together in both life and work, called Sivouplait – intentionally simplified from the French “s’il vous plait” – begins the first half by taking the audience on a “Picnic” and the second half by healing us with laughter in a “Clinic”. Both promise to prove why they’re “the mime of love and laughter”.
Japanese expat Yano Kazuki , seen often in TV dramas and movies here, will follow with his new solo work “The Gambler”, a man who has extraordinarily bad luck.
Honda Aiya will then portray a “Conductor” who falls in love with a musician and that messes up his conducting. He’ll also collaborate with Kojimaya Mansuke, who co-created “Pantomime in Bangkok” 13 years ago, in “Beautiful Sunday” showing that troubles, surprises and fun don’t take Sunday off.
Officially registered as “Artist of Tokyo”, Yamamoto Koyo, who can amazingly morph into several characters, will perform “I had a dream last night” – and he dreamt of gigantic female breasts. He’ll also return after the intermission in “Mosquiiiiito” as a vagabond who’s being disturbed by that pesky little insect on a hot summer night. Koyo will also collaborate with Aiya and Mansuke in “Magic Show Under the Water” specially created for this Bangkok performance.
Imagawa Masakazu’s “Soba Shop” two years ago cracked many laughs and now he’s returning as a “Ceramist”, with many problems interrupting his creation of a masterpiece, and as a newsman reporting live from the site of a “Typhoon”.
Thailand’s Babymime will restage “Mother”. The three members were enthusiastic members of the audience in the early editions of “Pantomime in Bangkok” and have now become the country’s busiest professional mime troupe.
Nuttapol “Ta” Kummata, one of the trio, says, “We premiered this piece last October as part of ‘Babymime Superhits’. The audience liked it very much and we thought it had room for further improvement. Initially, we did it just for fun, presenting the image of mother as the giver and the victim. Now, we’ve spent more time fine-tuning it and trimming it down to about 25 minutes.”
Also opening this weekend at a smaller venue is another pantomime performance “Phrachan Si Som Om Chomphu” (“The Moon in Orange and Pink”), subtitled as “expressionism mime”. This more traditional style of pantomime is by Kon Na Khao, the longest-running pantomime group in Thailand. Now 28 years old, the troupe is led by Paitoon Laisakul, a pantomime pioneer better known by his stage name Kon Na Khao (White-faced Man). The three members of Babymime also studied with this revered master before starting their own company.
The new generation group 10 pantomime artists, trained by Paitoon, will “tell stories about love expressed by emotions or guided by the mood of the character which may not be the reality but a form of illusion” and promise to “touch” our hearts.

SILENCE PLEASE
“Pantomime in Bangkok 2012” runs from tonight until Sunday at Muangthai Life Assurance Auditorium near Sutthisan subway station, exit 3. Showtime is 8pm tonight and tomorrow and at 2 and 7.30pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets cost Bt800 to Bt1,200 at ThaiTicketMajor. Find out more at “Pantomime In Bangkok” on Facebook and @PantomimeInBKK on Twitter.
“Phrachan Si Som Om Chomphu” runs from tomorrow to Sunday and from July 13 to 15 and 20 to 22 at the Pridi Banomyong Institute on Soi Thong Lor. Shows are at 7pm with 2pm matinees on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are Bt250 (Bt200 for students). Call (086) 397 8609 or visit “KonNaKhao” on Facebook.