Whenever Jaturachai Srichanwanpen, or "Chuan", can get away from running his shoe shop in Yaowarat, he turns all his energy into a creative force in the dramatic world he likes to inhabit. Though never a student of drama, the 27-year-old has been involved in theatre since high school in various capacities, from performing, songwriting and scriptwriting to directing.
His latest play, Big Head Monster, an adaptation from an Ong-Art Chaicharncheep novel about the adventures of a monster and a carp, starts next Thursday at Democrazy Theatre Studio.
Even though he has adapted, written and directed quite a few plays before, such as Plew (Blown) and Gon Joob (Before I Had My First Kiss), and has recently set up his own theatre group called By The Way, this play is to be the biggest production yet in his theatrical career.
It is produced by a YouTube channel called TVmunk, a creative group which he also co-founded.
"I have loved this book and wanted to make it into a play for so long but I didn't quite know how to portray it," says Jaturachai.
"It's about a journey of a big-headed monster and a beautiful carp. While the monster wants to be a hero, leaving his family to travel and follow his dream, the carp, who comes from an unloving family, is looking for true friendship.
"The great impact of this book is how there's a page halfway through that says, 'If you want the story to end now, you don't have to continue'."
And Jaturachai actually stopped there, cherishing the first ending, before coming back for the second half two years later.
"This time I read from the beginning to the end. And I was so blown away by what the story turned into. I was like, 'What? Why does it turn out to be like this?'. I wanted to make it into a play so much, but didn't know what to say. The second half was so much more realistic and emotional."
It was late last year when he joined a reading theatre project at Crescent Moon Space where scriptwriters and directors were invited to adapt books into plays for read-throughs that he began the first stage of dramatising Big Head Monster.
"At first the ideas weren't quite settled, I knew I loved the book but couldn't explain how. For the reading, I chose Big Head Monster and turned it into a 30-minute piece, trying to figure out the form of storytelling. That was the beginning and it made me realise that I was quite ready."
As much as he wants the play to speak to the audience about various themes in the journey, your dreams, relationships and family issues, Jaturachai admits that it's a lot to do with his own life as well.
"In a way, I am that big-headed monster. I'm on a journey and I also have a dream. Also, I think it will touch the audience, especially those are still young and still have the energy to go after something," he said.
"As opposed to realist plays, the element of fantasy can relate to the audience on another level. Even though it's not real in this world, it is real in its own world. The audience can connect to it in a wider way. They can grab and think in whatever way they want."
With nine amateur actors working together, Jaturachai says that the rehearsal schedule is quite hard as each actor has their own professional career to take care of. This is especially difficult for six actors who play as an ensemble who have to work together as one, as opposed to individual characters like the big-headed monster, the beautiful carp and the narrator. Another great challenge is of course the adaptation itself, and Jaturachai says that he wants it to be more than just a change of literary form.
"I have to choose which dialogue to use and when there's an important description in the book, I have to come up with some dialogue or some to replace the book's. There are also things which are not in the book, but which are things I want to say, so I add that in."
Music is another important part of the story. Jaturachai has written songs for the play and that is one of the significant elements in moving the story forward.
"Live music can enhance the atmosphere. The ensemble plays percussion and it's music that wraps up some parts of the story that don't require that much time," he said.
As to the reaction of Ong-Art Chaicharncheep to an adaptation of his book, Jaturachai is full of praise, saying that he has long been a big fan of the writer.
"He respects me as another person who also creates and gives me the freedom to approach the work in my own way," Jaturachai said.
"I asked Ong-Art whether I needed to pay him anything, and he said, 'When it gets to Muangthai Rachadalai Theatre, then we'll talk'."
Big Head Monster runs from Sept 12-30 at 8pm except for Tue and Wed, at Democrazy Theatre, Soi Saphan Khu, next to Lumpini Tower, Rama IV Road. Tickets cost 500 baht.
Call 084-005-6445, 081-834-0845.
