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Sukrit ‘Bie’ Wisetkaew and Suthasinee ‘Pat’ Buddhinan portray an adulterous couple in ‘Behind the Painting’.
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THEATRE
Love in the balance
By Lisnaree Vichitsorasatra
Daily Xpress
Published on July 7, 2008
A classic tale of a secret romance in post-war Japan comes to the stage
After staging "Man of La Mancha" - the tale of the idealistic Don Quixote - Muang Thai Rachadalai Theatre is preparing to immerse us in another dream: director Takonkiet Virava's improbable romance "Behind the Painting" ("Kang Lang Pap"). When a man falls for a much older married women in an aristocratic family, they begin a secret love affair. The woman, Keerati (played by Suthasinee "Pat" Buddhinan), had married the fatherly Chaokoon (Gowit Wattanakul) out of obligation. It wasn't a love match. Then she met the young Nopporn (Sukrit "Bie" Wisetkaew), who was assigned by Chaokoon to attend to his wife's needs (but not those needs). With the two unable to fully express their feelings, they must hide their emotions, as if their affair was taking place behind the piece of art in a picture frame, says Takonkiet. The director says the beauty of the story is how they both have to hide their love for one another, although "the characters can convey their repressed emotions through music".
Unlikely couple Singer Bie, 22, and thirty-something socialite Pat make an unlikely couple. They're both excited about the roles, but the big challenge is making audiences really believe they could fall in love with each other. At a press preview, the two spent most of the time staring into each other's eyes, singing sentimental love songs. While musicals aren't very popular in Thailand, Takonkiet has created a stage. The show will go on creating dreams, despite complaints that the dancing and singing don't reach a high standard.
xtra long pedigree>> "Behind the Painting" will be staged from August 21 to September 14 at Muang Thai Rachadalai Theatre. >> Tickets are Bt500 to Bt3,000, available at Thaiticketmajor. >> The musical is based on a novel by Siburapha that was serialised in 1937. >> The first film adaptation, in 1985, was directed by Piak Poster and starred Amphol Lampoon and Nataya Dangbunga. Director Cherd Songsri created another film version starring Kara Polasit and Theeradej Wongpuapan in 2001. >> Video clips of the show are at Blog.NationMultimedia. com/lisnaree
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