Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2009

Members of the Bangkok Theatre Network (BTN) arrive in Tokyo to offer a taste of both traditional and contemporary Thai theater. The engagement is the result of a decade of efforts by the BTN and artistic director Hideki Noda of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, and will re-envision two of Noda’s works in a Thai context. The first, Akaoni (“Red Demon”), is about a woman “killed by a bowl of shark’s fin soup,” while the second is Nogyo Shojo, which translates roughly as “Farm Girl.” The play has been recast from its Japanese context to feature a girl from the poor, northeastern Thai district of Isaan who comes to Bangkok. Incidentally, the word lakorn means “play,” and is often used to refer to the melodramas broadcast nightly on Thai TV.

Lakorn Thai: Akaoni & Nogyo Shojo
Two plays by Hideki Noda adapted and performed by Thai actors. Nov 19-23, various times, ¥3,800 (adv)/¥3,500 (door)/¥6,000 (set). Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space, Nishi Ikebukuro. Tel: 03-5985-1707.