BANGKOK — A theater troupe known for their politically and socially provocative shows – and art performances at pro-democracy protests – will return for their first full production in almost two years in December.
B-Floor Theater will stage multimedia and physical theater performance called “Flu-Fool (2020 Edition)” on Dec. 5, 6 ,11, 12, 13 7pm at the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre (BACC).
“Flu-Fool” was first held in 2010 and focused on the Redshirt crackdown in the same year. The production’s 2020 version, said producer Peerapol Kijeunpiromsuk, will also encompass what happened in the decade since.
“Ten years ago we talked about the Redshirt movement. But 10 years later, we’re still talking about the same issues. It’s still very fresh,” Peerapol said. “We should check in with ourselves to see if what happened, and if anything changed at all.”
The director is Teerawat “Ka-ge” Mulvilai, and the cast will include both B-Floor’s troupe and other performers. The troupe, known for their abstract performances, came under state scrutiny under the junta.
In 2020, B-Floor could not hold performances due to the coronavirus, but have performed at anti-government protests since July, sometimes with the Free Arts group.
B-Floor troupe member Ornanong “Golf” Thaisriwong said that the staging is timely with the “current fiery politics.”
“We’ve gone to every protest that we could,” Golf said. “At the leaderless protests, people can listen to speeches or protest standing up, but we also want people to be able to express themselves politically through art.”
“As B-Floor, of course we support democracy, and we wanted to bring our skills that we think are interesting to the protests for political expression.”
B-Floor’s “Bang La Merd,” performance in 2015 by Ornanong, was watched and recorded almost every day by military officers. Ka-ge’s production of “Fundamental” in 2016 at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre was also monitored by soldiers.
B-Floor’s performance of “Flu-Fool (2020 Edition)” can be booked by messaging their Facebook or calling 094-494-5104. Tickets are 700 baht for adults, 550 for students, and 500 baht for groups of 10 or more. Early bird tickets are 500 baht if booked and paid before Nov. 10.
The performance is 1:45 hours long with a 15 minute intermission.
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Not Here to Entertain You: B-Floor Confronts Thailand in Movement and Meaning