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Shows for all seasons
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 15/03/2018
» March kicked off with the return of French choreographer Jérôme Bel to Bangkok, bringing with him two productions to close the French Highlights #3. Then English-speaking theatre company Peel the Limelight celebrated International Women's Day with the premiere of their latest production of Agnes Of God in their new and larger venue, Peel the Limelight Studio, just across from their old home, Spark Drama Studio, at Jasmine City building in Asok. And Bangkok-based Japanese theatre artist Shogo Tanikawa founded his own theatre company Scene Zero and gave birth to a new play. Here are our reviews of these performances.
The perfect murder
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 17/12/2015
» In B-Floor Theatre's Jaa Phantachat's latest creation Ceci N'est Pas La Politique (This Is Not Politics), the audience takes part in solving a murder mystery. No, this is not a mystery dinner. Rather, it's a kangaroo court, a quiz show and a reality show all rolled into one, where we willingly become the players, and unwittingly become the jury.
An eclectic mix of shows from last week
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 05/02/2015
» This simple dance creation by Sun Tawalwongsri and Chatchanok Hemachandra may have sprung from a loose and hackneyed concept — our relationship with other human beings and our surroundings — but it succeeds in being minimal and controlled. Sun and Chatchanok are athletic dancers and move with clean precision. They are not identical, however. Sun usually has a penchant for melodrama, but here he keeps it under control. Chatchanok is more matter-of-fact when she dances but still knows how to show her vulnerability. The two have found an interesting way of incorporating pedestrian movements into their choreography; they not only dance with their arms, legs and feet but are also very expressive with their hands. For a piece about relationships, the show feels emotionally disjointed, and the dancers could have had more of a connection with each other. The most touching scene comes at the end when Sun backs away from Chatchanok as she continues to feel his imaginary form with her hands. The sense of absence and loss in that simple moment makes more of an emotional imprint than all of the other scenes combined.
Playhouse politics
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 16/01/2014
» As Thai politics heat up on the streets and social media, the act of seeing people in the flesh has never felt more important. For many hours a day, we are glued to our phones and computer screens. People _ friends, acquaintances, colleagues _ are soon reduced to opinions on a single subject.
Until death do we dance
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 21/03/2013
» Nir de Volff suggests sitting by the window in Amarin Plaza's food court because he wants to gaze at the streets of Bangkok. The Israel-born, Berlin-based dancer, choreographer and founder of the Total Brutal dance company says he loves the city's energy, especially the combination of Buddhism and the state of chaos on the streets.
The price of free speech
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 11/10/2012
» Pridi Banomyong Institute has always been an art venue of the smaller voices _ a refuge of sorts for the young, struggling artists, especially the politically minded ones. Theatre-goers know all too well that the venue is also home to two theatre companies, Crescent Moon Theatre and B-Floor Theatre, and their tiny rehearsal and performance spaces, Crescent Moon Space and B-Floor Room.
The root and fruit of Love
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 03/05/2012
» As much of Thailand's classical trove consists of creations from the court, it comes as no surprise that kings in Thai literature are mostly portrayed as exquisite, god-like beings _ the epitome of goodness and wisdom. Some contemporary Thai artists like to mine the canon to create works for the purpose of teaching the accepted set of morals and ethics, rather than to question them.