IBM 1401, a groundbreaking contemporary dance theatre piece, will be staged at Sodsai Theatre, Chulalongkorn University, every Friday and Saturday at 2pm and 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm and 6pm, from July 5-21.
A fusion of dance, theatre and old technology, this is a production by Chiang Mai-based theatre company Glom, in collaboration with the Department of Dramatic Arts at Chulalongkorn University, to take audiences into the intricate relationship between humanity and technology.
Directed and choreographed by New York-based Thai visionary Sai Somboon, the performance will be accompanied by a live, six-piece string ensemble from the Royal Bangkok Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Thai Navy Orchestra, Pro Musica and Chulalongkorn Symphony Orchestra.
The ensemble will recreate the ethereal score IBM 1401, A User's Manual by Icelandic musician Jóhann Jóhannsson, which combines string with the buzzing and whirring sounds of IBM's decimal computer launched in 1959.
Combined with dance and performance, the show explores themes of connection, resilience and obsession in the mid-century as musicians and performers navigate the complexities of the human spirit in an era of rapid technological advancement.
The show has been described as a mesmerising blend of choreography and storytelling that paints a vivid picture of the early interactions between humans and machines.
Sodsai Theatre is on the 6th floor of Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Building, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Phaya Thai Road.
Tickets cost 1,200 baht (500 baht for students) and can be purchased from ticketmelon.com.
Visit glom.cm/ibm1401.
