It is the first retelling of the work that addresses the entire epic - from the abduction of Sita by the demon Ravana, through the battle between gods, demons, men and monkeys, to the death of Ravana and Sita's return to Ayodhya. It also has the denouement from the rarely discussed Seventh Book of the Ramayana all the way to the final ascent of Rama and Sita to Mount Kailash in order to set into motion the next cycle of the universe.

The subject matter of this epic is so vast that no attempt has ever been made to tell the entire story in a single evening. But "Ayodhya" uses modern narrative techniques of flashback, allegory and dance to move the story along, and finds a fresh viewpoint, seeing the epic from the viewpoint Sita, its heroine.

One of Europe's most celebrated opera directors, Hans Nieuwenhuis, founder of the Netherlands Opera Studio, has agreed to come on board to bring to life Somtow's exotic score. His talents will be matched by designer Chatvichai Prohmadhattavedi, the visionary behind such well-known spectacles as Siam Niramit and Phuket Phantasea.

The cast includes Michael Chance, one of the world's two or three most famous countertenors in the pivotal role of the god Ganesha, a patron of music and literature. Southeast Asia's popular diva Nancy Yuen plays the role of Sita, Dutch Wagnerian tenor Charles Hens stars as Rama and velvety bass John Ames plays Ravana.

The cast also includes a virtual who's who of celebrated Thai opera stars, including Saran Suebsantiwongse as Hanuman.

The Orpheus Choir of Bangkok will be augmented to almost 100 singers and there will be an additional corps de ballet, boys' chorus and children's chorus together with a 100-piece orchestra, for a total of about 400 performers.

Of "Ayodhya", the composer says: "Into this opera I have poured all the dreams and passions of my half-century of creative life. Having decided after 50 years of wandering abroad and achieving recognition in other countries, I'm creating this work as my personal tribute to His Majesty the King and my gift to Thailand in return for all the inspiration I have derived from her.

At the same time, the opera is not a simple retelling, but a complete rethinking of the Ramayana in terms of contemporary society and culture. Thailand is the last country in the world in which the Hindu ideal of divine kingship is still a living thing that informs every level of society. In the Ramayana we see the ideal of the perfect man and the perfect divinity and in our society, the King still embodies these ideals."

Shows are scheduled to start at 8pm tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday at the Thailand Cultural Centre. Seats are priced at Bt500, Bt1,000, Bt1,500, Bt2,000 and Bt2,500. VIP seats go for Bt5,000 each. Tickets available at all Ticketmaster outlets. Visit www.thaiticketmaster.com or call

(02) 262 3456.