To celebrate the month of love, two actors — Wannasak Sirilar, aka Kuck, and impersonator/TV actor Paksupa Ponpattraputanan, aka Day Freeman — known for their solo performances will join forces in This Is My {Day} Light, featuring several shades of passion and despair from gay men's perspectives.
While the 70-minute-plus performance thrives on certain stereotypes of homosexuality and predictable mystery, its presentation — in six fragmented scenes that link the theme — is well-synced. The so-called original script — which was penned by both actors — is sporadically yet intentionally presented in six short stories that mainly dwell on stream of consciousness through various portrayals of characters.
By taking turns narrating a non-linear, mysterious tale of a dead woman, the duo displays their acting talents through 12 roles — a forgetful restaurant owner and a not-so-beautiful patron; a reserved, homosexual monk and a loyal servant; a landlady and an obedient handyman; a chatty hairstylist and her silly assistant; a childlike simpleton and a mute man; and a disconsolate ghost and a curious new tenant.
Yet such a difference in roles does not translate into depth. Their portrayals in some scenes contained similar acting and dialogue, hampering their efforts to animate different characters and preventing them from making a convincing impact.
Still, the performance offers some hilarious moments, thanks to signature acting by Wannasak and Paksupa. Both are considered big guns in Thailand's queer theatre.
The performance is a self-motivated, if not a self-indulgent, piece of art. It was with good intentions that they created the script, attempting to go beyond a typical "gay" story, but sadly what entertains the audience the most is, in fact, their flamboyant gayness and familiar practical gags.
{Day} Light seem as though Kuck is paying homage to Day Freeman. The first five scenes repetitively feature Kuck in a more submissive role, allowing Day Freeman to bask in the limelight.
But such a lack of equilibrium leads their collaboration in one banal direction, and is a waste of Kuck's talent, which luckily prevails in the show's final scene — a lip-sync battle between the pair. Then again, such servile presentation was a conscious choice. Day initiated the project for Kuck to coordinate, as hinted in the show's title. In all, it illustrates the need for more solid direction.
The 30-seat Sun Dance Theatre allowed more intimacy, as intended by producer Sun Tawalwongsri, who aims to promote queer theatre and other art forms.
The artwork was beautiful, featuring paintings of Day's face and colourful shades of hair provided a good wrap-up for the show. This is a goodwill performance by two quality talents who present their repertoire and gayness in fragmented yet colourful ways.
This Is My {Day} Light will be performed at Sun Dance Theatre, 5th floor of Silom Society restaurant, near Silom Soi 2 (BTS Sala Daeng), from today until Wednesday and on Feb 19-22, at 8pm. Tickets cost 500 baht. To reserve tickets, call 088-018-5966 or 095-859-1515. Students and groups get special discounts.
