Moradokmai's little miracle

‘Banana Happiness’ celebrates the simple things in life.

Dawis Dahlan

Special to The Nation

 Caught up in the rat race, we often forget that happiness is in easy reach. Just peel a banana and pop it in your mouth, for example.

 That's the message Dutch directors Kimmy Ligtvoet and Christina Flick got across to a youthful audience with "Banana Happiness", a joint production with the Moradokmai Theatre Troupe.

 Led by Janaprakal "Khru Chaang" Chandruang and Pobchan Leelasartsunthorn, Moradokmai is one of the country's leading theatre groups, famed for integrating youngsters into its agenda.

 The theatre is in an unlikely location - right in the middle of a rice paddy in Pathum Thani.

 Despite its limited resources, the troupe contributes to the welfare of the community. The facility itself is a home-school for the kids.

 The children can learn not just the basics of stage drama but other important aspects of life, and values too like self-sufficiency, teamwork and staying happy.

 With the troupe's social benefit in mind, the Dutch Embassy in Bangkok has sponsored several Moradokmai initiatives, among them Pathum Thani's first international theatre festival, which gave young people outside Bangkok their first look at quality foreign cultural shows.

 The Dutch generosity this time took the form of "Banana Happiness". The "imported" playwrights were utterly impressed by how the community united for the production, which was staged as part of a workshop for 14 children aged 13 to 17.

 The visitors from Holland had a little trouble communicating at first, but as they say, art knows no boundaries. In the end the gift from the Netherlands went down well with the crowd.

 "Banana Happiness" was experimental, as Ligtvoet explains. 

 "We were searching for a way of performing that starts from the actor himself rather than the story," he says.

 "Our Dutch theatre background influences the way we work and look at theatre. We have different thoughts, aims and language.

 "So it was important to share the actual moment of having a performance. It was a unique occasion, worthwhile celebrating."

 The premise was that anything could become part of the unfolding performance, from the actions onstage to the stray dog that came sniffing around.

 "We hope our work with the kids becomes a sustainable part of their theatre education in coming years," Ligtvoet says. "We thank the Netherlands Embassy for giving us such a great opportunity."

 "Banana Happiness" conveyed a simple message: Enjoy the slow lane, smell the roses, eat too much food, sleep longer than you normally do, and spend more time with loved ones.

 "Just remember," adds Ligtvoet. "Life is not a race, it's a journey, so be sure to enjoy the scenery, and happiness will always be with you."