Jirasak Yojiw's previous play was Rueng Lao Khuen Fao Phee, in which the director gathered characters to narrate ghost stories in a house of a dead woman, whose body lay in a coffin underneath the floor.
In Laddaland , a happy family encounters paranormal events that lead to conflict.
Scenario's TV and theatre director is now working on Laddaland, which requires turning Muang Thai Rachadalai Theatre into a haunted housing estate.
Premiering on September 3, the spooky play is an adaptation of a GTH blockbuster film based on an urban legend of a doomed Chiang Mai housing estate. Legend has it that a Burmese maid was killed and her corpse shoved into a fridge in one of the houses, whereas in another house, a stressful father killed himself and his family. Moreover, two lovers hanged themselves from a banyan tree within the same housing estate.
Cinematography and editing techniques can easily conjure up a horror flick to depict these tragedies and subsequent haunting sprees. But how will Jirasak deliver an equally hair-raising version on stage?
Ghosts can creep in from any direction when watching the spooky play.
"The advantage of theatre is that ghosts can creep in from any direction, whereas they only come from the front when watching a movie in the cinema," said Jirasak. "Most important is the timing of the scary scenes. If you get it right the whole audience will be horror-struck and that shakes up the theatre."
He monitored the audience's response of Ruang Lao Khuen Fao Phee, (Stories from a night with a ghost), which can be measured by the magnitude of the theatre's vibrations. The more frightening the scene, the larger the quake at Muang Thai Rachadalai Theatre.
The right timing is coupled by a design of ghostly appearances, and Jirasak has a clear picture of the spirits' numinous presence and their movements because he firmly believes in them.
He wasn't a believer in the supernatural until encountering unexplainable circumstances that convinced him of the existence of ghosts. And upon seeing them, you have to ask what they want from you?
"Spirits are for real," said the director, a Buddhist who practises meditation. "There are things surrounding you that you can't see, such as dust particles and a mobile phone's electromagnetic radiation. Likewise, you may be not able to see ghosts but that doesn't mean that they are not there."
Jirasak gave an example of a true story that featured in the news late last year. A three-year-old girl was found with her mother, who had been dead for three days in the bedroom of their townhouse. When asked how she lived through these three days, the little girl said that her mother was with her and gave her milk. Even though the mother was dead, a certain form of energy kept caring for the child.
"In this case, the daughter could see the spirit of her mother because her heart is pure. Nobody questioned that she lied because the innocent little girl had no reason to do so," said Jirasak.
Laddaland also questions people's belief in ghosts, and this is portrayed in the play. The protagonist, Thee, doesn't believe his daughter when she tells him that she sees ghosts in the housing estate.
Scenario director Jirasak Yojiw.
Because of Thee's appointment as a marketing manager in Chiang Mai, the family moves out of their Bangkok apartment and relocates to the northern town, where he hopes to build a happy home in Laddaland. Instead, horrific happenings lead to a family conflict over whether to leave or stay.
Grossing 117 million baht at the box office, the award-winning movie starred Saharat Sangkapreecha as Thee and Piyatida Woramusik as Thee's wife. Scenario's theatrical version presents pop singers and actors Patiparn "Mos" Pataweekarn and Nicole Theriault as the couple.
"In real life, Mos is a father and Nicole a mother and so they can both relate well to their roles as parents," said Jirasak. "Thee wants to prove that he can provide his family with a dream home. The attachment to the house makes him want to stay even though his wife asks him to go back to Bangkok. Because of materialism, he mistakes the house as a means of happiness that actually comes from family understanding and ties."
The director emphasised that Laddaland is not only a spine-chiller but also focuses on family issues that make it a thought-provoking play.
From Sept 3, Laddaland will be staged at Muang Thai Rachadalai Theatre,
The Esplanade, Ratchadaphisek Road.
Tickets, priced at 500-2,000 baht, are available at Thai Ticket Major.
Call 02-262-3456 or visit www.thaiticketmajor.com
