Sudsakorn
Vic Hua Hin
By Pawit Mahasarinand

What Sudsakorn lacks in cohesion it makes up for in bold surprises.

Many of the Bangkokians who decided to be elsewhere last Saturday (May 15) chose Hua Hin, and some of them witnessed the premiere of a new intercultural work for the stage, Sudsakorn, at the Vic Hua Hin.

The advance publicity included photos of the players in traditional likay costume and the words "A Thai musical", but the stage—with a small pool downstage left and a big ramp with  a bed on top right—indicated right away that this was neither likay nor a Thai musical we thought.

At the beginning, a "suspiciously female" nurse wheeled out a patient who soon enough broke into song, using lyrics from Sunthorn Phu's Phra Aphaimanee. Director Jitti Chompee was telling us straight up (to our delight) that this wasn't Sudsakorn as we expected.

Jitti reteams with some actors whom he works with in Ministry of Truth, that he produced, and two likay performers, a master and a young one, whom he worked with in a shorter and more traditional version of this play.

Compared to other recent intercultural works at the Vic, like Phra Lor and Eclipse, the dance, music and acting in Sudsakorn aren't seamlessly blended. We can see what's likay, but wonder why it doesn't sound improvisational. We see the contemporary dance, especially in the finale, and wonder how it's supposed to connect to likay.

But when the performers cross boundaries and leave familiar territory, it's a great pleasure.

This is evident in the music, some newly composed and all of it performed live on the piano by Suriya Phuengthongthai. He shows that, by fervently accompanying the action, his music can become a star in its own right. Hearing likay performers' beautiful voices backed by piano is really refreshing.

Also, the magical horse Nin Mangkorn's movements, co-created by Jitti and the acrobatic performer Rajanikara  Kaewdee, are a choreographic achievement.

As contemporary dance-theatre, Sudsakorn is bold, entertaining and thought provoking (watch for the recurring watermelons). There are no plans to stage it in Bangkok, but it's worth a trip to Hua Hin.

Even if you don't speak Thai, you'll still be able to understand the story thanks to Patravadi Mejudhon's brief introduction and the live and vibrant illustrations by Tweesak Wangrangsisatit superimposed on the stage in many scenes. The graphics are well supported by Yutachai Autayarnin's lighting.

But non-Thai speakers will miss the jokes, and the beauty of the lines from Sunthorn Phu's best dramatic work. Jitti tells me he's trying to solve this problem.

Get there an hour early and enjoy the dance and music at Dome Dokmai while sampling the good local food from the stalls nearby. You can also participate in one of the Vic's morning and afternoon art workshops, or have a meal in its newly opened cosy restaurant, called “Waiting for You”. It’s next to a gallery currently exhibiting photos from Patravadi Theatre's previous works.

See Sudsakorn any Saturday at 7:30pm until June 12. Tickets are Bt500 to Bt1,000 (students Bt150) at Total Reservation. Visit www.VicHuaHin.com for more details.