The theatre's had plenty to celebrate in the first decade of this millennium but the most important event of the noughties was undoubtedly the formation of the Bangkok Theatre Network (BTN) in mid-2002. This alliance of professional and student dance and theatre troupes led to the organisation of annual showcase known as Bangkok Theatre Festival, which kicked off later that year and is still going strong.

Collaborations between members of different troupes were also initiated and we've seen remarkable works, among them Chai Yak ((Gi)ant), by Theatre 8X8 and Babymime.

The decade ended on a high note with BTN's highly acclaimed production of Sao Chaona (Girl of the Soil), tradapted from the Japanese play Nogyo Shojyo written by Hideki Noda, whose production of Yak Tua Dang (Akaoni) here 12 years ago brought together actors from various groups and started the informal alliance that became BTN.

Space, a major problem 10 years ago, is now available, with six small venues across the city now hosting performances almost every weekend.

The opening of Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre in 2007 marked another milestone on the Bangkok theatre scene. , and many audiences are still excited with the fact that we now have the so-called “Broadway-standard” private-run playhouse—in other words, a good hardware, backed up by great paperware, or money. House company Scenario regularly stages spectacular productions at the privately run playhouse though reviews have been mixed and more acclaimed works in the venue are by other companies—Theatre 28’s Man of La Mancha and imported productions of We Will Rock You and Chicago.

Genre-wise, the imported production of Action Theatre’s Chang and Eng: The Musical from Singapore in early 2001 started the trend of musicals. Scenario followed it and has been able to draw the attention, of the public and the media, to grand-scale musicals, despite its quality, especially in terms of acting and script. Elsewhere, with more small venues, more experiments in using physical movements and multimedia in theatre have been evident. There have been, however, too few collaborations between dance and theatre artists, and the number of dance productions is still lacking behind.

Content-wise, with the ever increasing number of works, contemporary Thai theatre offers more variety than ever before though it still tends to avoid politics. This is a proof perhaps that the audience may be tired of reading about and watching these political soap operas in newspaper, online, and on TV.

It should be noted here that a stage performance, unlike film and television, differs, to a certain degree, from one evening to another. Occasionally, I missed good and great stage works because of other duties, locally and overseas. I’m sorry if I missed out some of your favorites but as I say very often, a theatre critic is just an avid playgoer, and vice versa. On that note, I’d like to hear your thoughts as well.

However, I've watched some of these local theatre works more than once, usually at their restagings, and would enjoy seeing them all again as each time I discover something new in them that moves me in different ways. Here they are, listed in chronological order rather than by preference.

KRUNGTHEP NARAK NACHANG 

In 2001, Theatre 8X8's Nikorn Saetang had just returned from his training at Ecole internationale de théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris. His first work, Krungthep Narak Nachang (Bangkok Lovely Madness), was an ensemble piece of physical theatre that reflected and satirised the lives of Bangkokians. With neither dialogue nor props, the actors were able to show where the characters were and what they were doing. The troupe's erstwhile small venue “8X8 Corner” in a shophouse near Sam Yan market not only contributed to their prolific repertoire of quality works and workshops, but also inspired other groups to open venues of their own.

HAMBURGER MOB

Naked Masks was a relatively new group back in 2001, when they staged, in an exhibition room of the Pridi Banomyong Institute, this real-time highly naturalistic drama set in a student union amidst a political demonstration. Artistic director Ninart Boonphothong showed his dexterity in creating a thought-provoking and satirical play by working with a young ensemble. Some cast members are now active in other groups, among them Thanachon Chandruang of Moradok Mai and Saifah Tanthana of On Box. Naked Masks organized Bangkok Theatre Festival 2008, catching a wide public attention, and now runs their own venue Naked Masks Playhouse near Phyathai BTS station.

ONLAMAN LANG BAN SAITHONG

Thailand's most prolific playwright Daraka Wongsiri masterfully adapted Michael Frayn's Noises Off, a behind-the-scenes farce that's a hit both in West End and on Broadway and blending it with best-selling novel Ban Saithong in 2002. The comedy was restaged several times in Bangkok, as well as Chiang Mai and Khon Kaen, with some cast changes, bringing the total number of performances close to 100, every time the audience roared with wild laughter and learned a few life lessons.

Plus, we can never forget exemplary character works by veteran actress Atcharaphan Phaibulsuwan and then-young comedian Kor Kamonphatthana.

PICHET KLUNCHUN AND MYSELF

This work is usually classified as conceptual dance, but a broader meaning of theatre would be able to cover it too. At the 2004 Bangkok Fringe Festival, Pichet was introduced to French choreographer Jerome Bel by the festival's artistic director Tang Fu Kuen. The two artists didn't have time to rehearse before the world premiere of this work, but talked it out over the phone. On stage, they shared, exchanged, and demonstrated their dance training and choreographic ideas. Since then, Pichet Klunchun and Myself has been staged all over the world, more than 100 times now, and interestingly enough less than 5 here in Thailand. Every time, apparently, they were able to make it fresh like that first encounter. The work not only put the Thai performer into the map of world dance—partly a reason why he was named the Silpathorn artist in 2006—, but also inspired international scholars to analyze this dance dialogue in terms of post-colonialism and gender studies. One recent article is UCLA’s Prof. Susan Leigh Foster’s “Jerome Bel and Myself,” on the feminine Orient and the male Occident.

SURIYUPARAKHA (ECLIPSE)

Patravadi Theatre has long been in the forefront of intercultural and intracultural experiments. This visually stunning and aurally pulsating 2004 work by Manop Meejamrat, who was later heralded with Silpathorn Award, was laden with comprehensible religious messages.

It's a smooth contemporary blend of traditional and modern dance, music and theatre, and a rare interdisciplinary production, with bilingual narration and no dialogue, that that can represent the country in any performing arts festivals overseas.

SAPHAN KWAI MY LOVE

Pradit Prasartthong, executive secretary of BTN, artistic director of Makhampom and the first Silpathorn artist in performing arts, may have more refined works in his contemporary likay, like Likit Nakha (The Message) and Yak Tua Dang (Red Demon), but this wild experiment, a perfect mix of comedy and drama and a right combination of foreign and local form and content, shows how theatre should always reflect life of the people, especially those who're living around the venue where it's staged.

SALANG (BITTER LOVE)

Written and directed by Crescent Moon Theatre's artistic director Sineenadh Keitprapai, this is a poignant two-character drama about romantic and parental love. The production featured two thespians of very different styles, and yet the director was able to balance and hone their performances. Fittingly so, Sineenadh was honoured with Silpathorn Award in 2008, and is still the only female Silpathorn artist in the field.

TA DU DAO THAO YIAB THOE

By the end of the decade, New Theatre Society's Damkerng Thitapiyasak has solidified his status as the country's best play adapter with Nang Nak the Museum. Ta Du Dao Thao Yiab Thoe (Push Up 1-2-3), a satiric take on how people do everything to get to the top, is one of the funniest play of the decade, and one of the best ensemble works. Its success was also due in part to the original German comedy Step Up 1-3 set in a business corporation.

GOD(A)GARDENER

Teerawat Mulwilai, co-founder of B-Floor Theatre, showcased a fine blend of exemplary physical movements and poignant social messages in this solo performance based on his interviews with Thai labour workers in Taiwan where he was an artist-in-residence. The use of multimedia here was sufficient and effective, and never drew too much attention on to itself and away from the performer. B-Floor is another consistently productive troupe and was able to open their own space B-Floor’s room at the end of the decade.

SUNFLOWER

The fist work by actor, playwright, and director Nophand Boonyai put him right into the spotlight in the first month of 2008. While the theatrical style seemed to outshine dramatic content in some of his subsequent works, he was able to balance them better in this drama/comedy about the relationship between three close friends. Unforgettable also was the performance by Ornanong Thaisriwong, who this year delivered two knockout performances in the title roles of Sao Chaona and Nang Nak the Museum.

Nowadays, when the audience sees the phrase “a performance/ a play by Nophand”, we know we can expect a usually unpredictable, often quirky, frequently hilarious, sometimes wacky, yet always comprehensible and thought-provoking original work—a unique evening at the theatre and a very different experience from watching TV and movies. Having graced many magazines, Nophand’s good looks and intriguing charisma help as well—many of my students, male and female, have become die-hard fans of his works.

written by Pawit Mahasarinand

published in THE NATION on Monday, December 28, 2009