Asia Dance Channel

Displacement (Phid Thi Phid Thang)
15 December 2009
B-Floor's Room, Pridi Banomyong Institute
Thailand

Exciting Collaborations in the Small World of Thai Arts
Review by Pawit Mahasarinand

B-Floor Theatre has turned its office and rehearsal studio in Pridi Banomyong Institute, exactly the same size as that of Crescent Moon Space nearby, into a new venue called "B-Floor's Room", with a debut work beguilingly and ironically titled Displacement (Phid Thi Phid Thang), a collaboration between Jarunun Phantachat and Dujdao Vadhanapakorn, both of whom perform alongside other B-Floor members who appeared in some scenes.

At the premiere, the intrigue didn't stop at the title and the concept, but continued in how the performers moved — with each other and with props of various sizes — through five colour-and-concept-coded scenes in 50 minutes.

The scenes can be rearranged at the outset according to the audience's preference. Exploring many definitions of the term "Displacement", the creators showed limitless possibilities in how humans, objects, nature, written text, sound and lights co-exist, trade places and functions, and affect one another.

Displacement is the last performance of B-Floor's "Next Fresh Thing" series, part of its 10th-anniversary celebration.

Add this to Begin Again, one of the year's most memorable stage works, and looking back to many works through the past 10 years of this small yet dedicated ensemble – Midah, The Edge, Crying Century, Venus's Party, GODaGardener — we look forward to the coming decades.

Another significant characteristic of B-Floor is that, while all works can be referred to broadly as “physical theatre”, the specific details in style and content of its pieces, such as each performer's technical brilliance and each director's degree of social and political awareness, vary from one work to another.

Its members take turns creating, directing, performing, composing music and producing, unlike many other troupes with clearly defined roles, which sometimes result in predictability.

Next year B-Floor Theatre will collaborate with Japan's Faifai in a new work on ordinary life, to be staged in Tokyo.

Renowned visual artist Amrit Chusuwan joins Butoh-trained dancer Kittiporn Udomrattanakulchai in For-49-Days, which examines the transition of life and death, known as “bardo” in Tibetan.

"We first met through his work. I saw the 'Spring in White' exhibition at the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre, and was deeply moved by one work," says Kittiporn, "so I found out who the artist was, and this project kicked off from there."

For-49-Days asks a poignant question: "If death were near, how would you say goodbye to your loved ones?"

"It reflects a belief in Vajrayana Buddhism, that the state of mind survives while transitioning from death to rebirth within 49 days," Kittiporn explains.

"During this period there are three major changes. And if we don't clearly understand bardo and are not ready for these transitions while we're still alive, we'll feel frightened experiencing them in death."