Showing 1 - 6 of 6
A decade in the limelight
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 30/12/2019
» In choosing the 10 best theatre productions of the decade, I started by listing some of my favourite productions, based almost purely on enjoyment. That would not do, of course. The more important questions are those of cultural and artistic impact. So of the shows that made it on this list, some are Thai-theatre-scene firsts, some are rarities, some are triumphs of age-old and underappreciated crafts. But all of them are ambitious, original and uncompromising. They have become indelible to me and, I hope, to many others. And they excited me then as much as they excite me now, looking back months and years later.
A political message of hope
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 06/09/2019
» Back with the second of three productions to celebrate its 33rd anniversary, DreamboxTheatre Bkk steps into the future with a new playwright and fifth sung-through musical, Namngoen Tae: The Musical.
A peek into our inner landscape
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 24/06/2016
» It's no surprise that stage director, playwright and actor Shogo Tanikawa's plays have a small following in Bangkok. As a writer, the Bangkok-based half-Thai, half-Japanese has a keen sense for quirky details in the mundane; his characters are relatable yet lovable and not-overly strange; his stories are about small moments in the lives of seemingly ordinary people in heartfelt, even sentimental, ways.
Turning the pages of Democracy
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 04/06/2012
» Since the advent of bookstore chains, followed by the domination of Amazon, the act of dreaming up, opening and maintaining an independent bookstore has always been considered a statement against the invasion of giant corporations.
A beautiful bleakness
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 30/05/2012
» So much of the weight of Eugene Ionesco's Chairs comes from the spatial emptiness, the gap between humans, and the absence of beings. Yet in director Adjjima Na Patalung's hands, one brief moment of intimacy between an old man and his wife at the beginning of the play almost, for me, defined the void that followed and widened as the play progressed.
Troupes on display
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 15/02/2012
» In the hodgepodge of student, amateur, professional and comeback theatre troupes that, for a decade, have together defined the Bangkok Theatre Festival (BTF), it can be difficult to discover the shining newcomers. Even those who have been on the scene for years can easily get lost in the muddle. While regular theatre-goers may prefer to invest their energy in watching the works of long-standing reputable troupes, sometimes it's the new discoveries that make your theatre-going experience all the more worthwhile and exciting. We talked to newly formed and lesser-known companies of veterans and new blood to give you a glimpse into this year's festival and the direction of the local theatre scene.