Dance and Theatre

Previews, Interviews, and Reviews (yes, and Photos) of Dance and Theatre in Thailand (well, and elsewhere) written by "The Nation" dance and theatre critics
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Wednesday , December 31 , 2008

STEPPING into JAPAN

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 1445 , 00:43:01 | Category : Dance 2008 Theatre 2008 Bangkok Festivals 2008

Bangkok theatregoers moved to the graceful rhythms of Kabuki this month, then met the modern madness of Butoh.The Japan Foundation Bangkok in co-operation with the National Discovery Museum Institute hosted the “Kabuki Demonstration and Nishiki-e Exhibition” at Museum Siam. And for a few hundred audiences who were quick enough to call the organizers and book their free tickets for the afternoon and e....

Bangkok theatregoers moved to the graceful rhythms of Kabuki this month, then met the modern madness of Butoh.The Japan Foundation Bangkok in co-operation with the National Discovery Museum Institute hosted the “Kabuki Demonstration and Nishiki-e Exhibition” at Museum Siam. And for a few hundred audiences who were quick enough to call the organizers and book their free tickets for the afternoon and e....

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Sunday , December 21 , 2008

THEATRE in a time of TROUBLE

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 1055 , 10:57:07 | Category : Dance 2008 Theatre 2008 Bangkok Festivals 2008

While thousands of audiences enjoyed a wide-variety of outdoors free-admission theatrical performances at Santi Chaiprakarn Park, officially the hub of Bangkok Theatre Festival 2008, the attendance at other venues, city-wide, was pretty disappointing. On the festival’s opening day (November 22), the number of audiences at Naked Masks Playhouse, a new small venue at Phyathai Plaza, was even less than ....

While thousands of audiences enjoyed a wide-variety of outdoors free-admission theatrical performances at Santi Chaiprakarn Park, officially the hub of Bangkok Theatre Festival 2008, the attendance at other venues, city-wide, was pretty disappointing. On the festival’s opening day (November 22), the number of audiences at Naked Masks Playhouse, a new small venue at Phyathai Plaza, was even less than ....

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Saturday , December 20 , 2008

Lost in the human ZOO

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 860 , 10:53:39 | Category : Theatre 2008

The Bangkok Theatre Festival has ended, but the lights are still on until teh year's last weekend at the Makhampom Studio. On a sunny day, Peter, a middle-class publishing executive in his early 40s, is reading peacefully on a bench at Central Park when Jerry, an isolated, disheartened, and weary man in his late 30s, shows up. Probably also mentally ill, Jerry is desperate to have a meaningful conve....

The Bangkok Theatre Festival has ended, but the lights are still on until teh year's last weekend at the Makhampom Studio. On a sunny day, Peter, a middle-class publishing executive in his early 40s, is reading peacefully on a bench at Central Park when Jerry, an isolated, disheartened, and weary man in his late 30s, shows up. Probably also mentally ill, Jerry is desperate to have a meaningful conve....

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CINDERELLA is one slipper short

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 1429 , 10:12:13 | Category : Theatre 2008

Broadway Asia's “Cinderella” is strictly for kids—and die-hard fans of Lea Salonga.The posters for "Cinderella" carry the Asian Broadway star's name as big as the play's title, even bigger than "Rodgers and Hammerstein", the songwriting dream team who gave the show its music for a live TV broadcast starring Julie Andrews. It was understandably one of their least successful effort....

Broadway Asia's “Cinderella” is strictly for kids—and die-hard fans of Lea Salonga.The posters for "Cinderella" carry the Asian Broadway star's name as big as the play's title, even bigger than "Rodgers and Hammerstein", the songwriting dream team who gave the show its music for a live TV broadcast starring Julie Andrews. It was understandably one of their least successful effort....

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Sunday , December 14 , 2008

let FREEDOM ring

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 931 , 01:36:50 | Category : Theatre 2008 Bangkok Festivals 2008

Makhampom ends a prolific year with a musical homage to the inspring writer/journalist/ political activist Sriburapha.More than a hundred years ago Siamese theatre artists adapted the Western-style opera to new forms of homegrown theatre, including lakorn rong. From the royal palace, where it was cultivated by Prince Narathipprapanpong, lakorn rong evolved into a popular entertainment at playhouses l....

Makhampom ends a prolific year with a musical homage to the inspring writer/journalist/ political activist Sriburapha.More than a hundred years ago Siamese theatre artists adapted the Western-style opera to new forms of homegrown theatre, including lakorn rong. From the royal palace, where it was cultivated by Prince Narathipprapanpong, lakorn rong evolved into a popular entertainment at playhouses l....

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Saturday , December 13 , 2008

Giving back to SANTA

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 873 , 11:12:08 | Category : Theatre 2008 Bangkok Festivals 2008

The sequel to "Christmas Story" puts a lovely spin on the season this weekend. Last December, Aa Theatre, led by Japan-born and Thailand-bred Shoko Tanikawa, presented their first production “Christmas Story”. The engaging drama was set at a park on Christmas Eve when a mysterious Japanese man named Santa Claus (Shoko) was waiting for a woman named Marilyn Monroe whom he met on the internet....

The sequel to "Christmas Story" puts a lovely spin on the season this weekend. Last December, Aa Theatre, led by Japan-born and Thailand-bred Shoko Tanikawa, presented their first production “Christmas Story”. The engaging drama was set at a park on Christmas Eve when a mysterious Japanese man named Santa Claus (Shoko) was waiting for a woman named Marilyn Monroe whom he met on the internet....

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Monday , December 8 , 2008

BUTOH: LIVE (plus photographed) in Bangkok

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 1235 , 09:31:34 | Category : Dance 2008 Theatre 2008 Bangkok Festivals 2008

Two arts centres in Bangkok play host to Butoh masters this month. Butoh, a contemporary theatrical performance art originated in post-Hiroshima Japan born out of despair and confusion and hence the nickname “dance of darkness”, has come a long way. Since its beginning in 1959, this amalgam of dance, theatre, and improvisation with influences from traditional Japanese dance theatre and German Express....

Two arts centres in Bangkok play host to Butoh masters this month. Butoh, a contemporary theatrical performance art originated in post-Hiroshima Japan born out of despair and confusion and hence the nickname “dance of darkness”, has come a long way. Since its beginning in 1959, this amalgam of dance, theatre, and improvisation with influences from traditional Japanese dance theatre and German Express....

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Friday , December 5 , 2008

KABUKI: LIVE (plus engraved) in Bangkok

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 1258 , 11:53:47 | Category : Dance 2008 Theatre 2008

The Japan Foundation, Bangkok teams up with the National Discovery Museum Institute, or Museum Siam, in presenting a unique visual arts and theatre event "Kabuki Demonstration and Nishiki-e Exhibition".Featuring stars of Kabuki today, this 90-minute programme starts with Sanbasou("Mai" Dance) by Mr. Bando Kotoji, followed by "What is Kabuki?", a lecture by Ms. Yoshiko Ta....

The Japan Foundation, Bangkok teams up with the National Discovery Museum Institute, or Museum Siam, in presenting a unique visual arts and theatre event "Kabuki Demonstration and Nishiki-e Exhibition".Featuring stars of Kabuki today, this 90-minute programme starts with Sanbasou("Mai" Dance) by Mr. Bando Kotoji, followed by "What is Kabuki?", a lecture by Ms. Yoshiko Ta....

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SUNFLOWER: sowing seeds

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 951 , 11:25:25 | Category : Theatre 2008 Bangkok Festivals 2008

"Sunflower" ploughs plenty of laughs from its tales of modern love, but plants some deep thoughts on relationships too. When Nophand Boonyai premiered his first play, a comedy/ drama about modern relationship titled “Dokmai Nai Saengdad” (“Sunflower”) back in January, Weekend was among the first media to interview him. Then, many theatergoers were still wondering who he was and what kind of....

"Sunflower" ploughs plenty of laughs from its tales of modern love, but plants some deep thoughts on relationships too. When Nophand Boonyai premiered his first play, a comedy/ drama about modern relationship titled “Dokmai Nai Saengdad” (“Sunflower”) back in January, Weekend was among the first media to interview him. Then, many theatergoers were still wondering who he was and what kind of....

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Wednesday , December 3 , 2008

RENDEZVOUS with my ALTER

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 889 , 15:22:39 | Category : Dance 2008 Theatre 2008

“Rendezvous with My ALTER…Come Dance with Us” is a new English-language musical play about an aspiring dancer whose look doesn’t fit in with the norm of the dance world, and featuring the multinational cast of six actors and eight dancers.“The story is not from real life although it could be,” says playwright and director Sunaina Gulati. “It is perhaps sub-consciously influenced from my interactions ....

“Rendezvous with My ALTER…Come Dance with Us” is a new English-language musical play about an aspiring dancer whose look doesn’t fit in with the norm of the dance world, and featuring the multinational cast of six actors and eight dancers.“The story is not from real life although it could be,” says playwright and director Sunaina Gulati. “It is perhaps sub-consciously influenced from my interactions ....

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Monday , December 1 , 2008

BLOOD on the BOARDS

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 926 , 10:33:47 | Category : Theatre 2008

Last month, Bangkok's theatre fans were wondering where to put their money in a two-horse race. Both of the weeend runners were English-language contemporary classics—NUNi Productions’ “The Threepenny Opera” at Thailand Cultural Centre’s Small Hall and Bangkok Community Theatre (BCT)’s “Deathtrap” at MIFA Auditorium. This reviewer placed an each-way bet, watching one on Friday and the other on Saturd....

Last month, Bangkok's theatre fans were wondering where to put their money in a two-horse race. Both of the weeend runners were English-language contemporary classics—NUNi Productions’ “The Threepenny Opera” at Thailand Cultural Centre’s Small Hall and Bangkok Community Theatre (BCT)’s “Deathtrap” at MIFA Auditorium. This reviewer placed an each-way bet, watching one on Friday and the other on Saturd....

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VENUS rises again

Posted by dance_and_theatre , Reader : 887 , 10:11:21 | Category : Dance 2008 Theatre 2008 Bangkok Festivals 2008

Five years on, the social issues explored in "Venus Party" remain unresolved. Sineenadh Keitprapai, actress, playwright, director and artistic director of Crescent Moon Theatre, is the latest recipient of Ministry of Culture’s Silpathorn Award in performing arts—and the first woman. It’s quite fitting then that Bangkok Theatre Festival 2008 will next week revive one of her most critically a....

Five years on, the social issues explored in "Venus Party" remain unresolved. Sineenadh Keitprapai, actress, playwright, director and artistic director of Crescent Moon Theatre, is the latest recipient of Ministry of Culture’s Silpathorn Award in performing arts—and the first woman. It’s quite fitting then that Bangkok Theatre Festival 2008 will next week revive one of her most critically a....

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