Back in Bangkok I arrived just in time for the second weekend of a theatre festival, right in our local park in Banglamphoo. The park was built in the form of several Greek theatres, with tiers of semi-circular steps leading down to areas that can easily be converted into stages. Performances take place after dark and the floodlit tower of Phra Athit rises up behind the stages. There is a paved area with trees at the top of the steps and boats covered with coloured lights steam up and down the river beyond.
Much of the theatre was strictly for Thai speaking people, but a brilliant group from Taiwan, called Shinehouse Theatre, performed a stunning piece of physical theatre, a dystopia in which everything is organised and decreed by central government, when to study, when to marry, who to marry, how many children to have and even when to die. Subtitles in English and Thai were projected onto a screen to the side of the stage.
I spoke to one of the group afterwards and asked what their influences were. Pina Bausch, she said with reverence, and a French group I hadn't heard of. The show was about society's suppression of individuality. I said I felt it was a criticism of Chinese society. She said that was so, but it was also a criticism of Taiwanese society. Members of the group acted as a Greek chorous, speaking, moving and laughing in unison - a reflection of how society reacts unthinkingly enmasse. Interestingly the one male member of the group who rebelled against the demands of society was called Judah, and he chose to follow the Messiah. It was the persistent demands of society that drove him to betray the Messiah - an interesting angle on the Biblical story. He, in turn, was betrayed by the government.
The one female member of the group who rebelled was forced to marry by her companions. The treatment of the woman was far more violent than that of the man. The actors wore white masks, to express their clone like acceptance of government policy. They removed them when thinking individually.
Next year this group want to perform a piece all about the death penalty, which they oppose. Taiwan still has the death penalty.
Later I watched an excellent group of young Thai contemporary dancers and the last act was a popular Thai mime group called Baby Mime.
I spoke to one of the group afterwards and asked what their influences were. Pina Bausch, she said with reverence, and a French group I hadn't heard of. The show was about society's suppression of individuality. I said I felt it was a criticism of Chinese society. She said that was so, but it was also a criticism of Taiwanese society. Members of the group acted as a Greek chorous, speaking, moving and laughing in unison - a reflection of how society reacts unthinkingly enmasse. Interestingly the one male member of the group who rebelled against the demands of society was called Judah, and he chose to follow the Messiah. It was the persistent demands of society that drove him to betray the Messiah - an interesting angle on the Biblical story. He, in turn, was betrayed by the government.
The one female member of the group who rebelled was forced to marry by her companions. The treatment of the woman was far more violent than that of the man. The actors wore white masks, to express their clone like acceptance of government policy. They removed them when thinking individually.
Next year this group want to perform a piece all about the death penalty, which they oppose. Taiwan still has the death penalty.
Later I watched an excellent group of young Thai contemporary dancers and the last act was a popular Thai mime group called Baby Mime.
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