As real as it gets

In the wake of the highly political dance solo "Ganesha" last month at his Chang Theatre in Thonburi, Pichet Klunchun doesn't need a petition of support, and now he's leading his troupe across the river to Alliance Francaise for "The Battle of Sang Athit".

He's renewing his attack with "Sang Athit", based on an episode of the Ramakien penned by King Rama I, though this is no  classical performance.

"Sang Athit was a ferocious demon whose brother Maiyarap was killed by Phra Ram, so he willingly joined Totsakan's army when others had to be coerced," Pichet explains.

"My master, the late Khru Chaiyot Kummanee, was renowned for portraying this character, so with this production I'm paying tribute to him as well."

Pichet sees a metaphor in Rama I's story about a series of demons attacking the good Phra Ram.

"I watched what's been happening in Thailand in the past few years and could draw many parallels," he says, "and then I was honeymooning in Austria during Songkran and saw the red-shirt army on TV, and all of a sudden I could make another connection."

Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is "similar to Totsakan", Pichet says, and pop singer Arisaman Pongruangrong, who led the crimson charge in Pattaya, reminded him of Sang Athit.

He watched Arisaman's music video for "Yom Yok Thong" ("Admitting Defeat"). "At the end he was holding a red flag with the words kor thod ['I'm sorry'] written on it, so I'm using the video in the show too."

The production also includes a scene from Rama I's script called "Rap Maew" that has never been staged.

Ultimately, Pichet wants to point out that people have many opportunities to express their opinions, yet often "those opinions are not actually ours, but those of our leaders or elders".

XTRA

Choose sides

"The Battle of Sang Athit" is at the Alliance Francaise on Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm. Tickets are Bt500 (Bt300 for students) via (081) 985 0281 or contact@pklifework.com.

Get more details at www.PKLifeWork.com.