Art Happens

Yoroboshi: The Weakling – A vibrant, queer puppet show inspired by Japanese bunraku theater is how playwright and director Satoko Ichihara reimagines the ancient legend of the ‘Blind Weakling’ (Shuntokumaru) for the present. While in the original version children are abandoned, sick people are discriminated against and everyone is redeemed in the end, Ichihara’s thinking reaches far beyond this tragic narrative and its simple opposition between good and evil. A cast of sex dolls, mannequins, and other creatures embody humans, their fates, desires, and violence. As narrator (gidayu), actress Sachiko Hara guides us through the story. Experimental musician Kakushin Nishihara combines the traditional sound of the satsuma-biwa, noise, and electronic music to create an extraordinary soundtrack for the piece. Together, they drive the story forward, mediating between worlds and bringing the puppets to life.

In front of us are two small apartments. Two women live in one; in the other, two teenage boys spend time together. In both, the same pervasive sound of Thai state radio is heard, alternating between news items, traditional music, propaganda, and advertising. Suddenly, conversations blossom in parallel. The women talk animatedly about the possible ends of their lives. On the other side, the two boys recall watching the 1993 movie Little Buddha at school, the crush they had on Keanu Reeves in that film, and how one of them became sexually excited thinking about Buddha. Wichaya Artamat brings an irreverent take on today’s Thailand, a country where religion, the army, and the monarchy are untouchable pillars of society. After the success of This Song Father Used to Sing (2019), Artamat returns to naturalistic theatre that employs subtle acting, everyday gestures, and small details. It’s a cinematic style that places us inside two apartments in Bangkok, using satire to go beyond a simple story and express what cannot be expressed openly. With poetry, tenderness, and comedy, Baan Cult, Muang Cult (The Cult of the Home, The One of the Nation) is an unexpected exploration of Thailand’s social structure as a cult.