Five conductors, five orchestras, a dozen celebrity soloists, several choirs and a children’s chorus all came together last weekend for an unprecedented event: two performances of the complete works of His Majesty King Bhumibol. The only previous time all 48 of the late monarch’s songs had been played publicly in a single sitting was about a month ago, but the emphasis then was on jazz.

 Royal granddaughter, Khun Ploypailin Jensen performs “Rak” arranged by Trisdee and “Love Over Again”, in a world premiere arrangement by Somtow. Photo/Opera Siam

Last week, for the first time in history, the audience was able to hear the incredible variety of His Majesty’s compositions played by the best Thai artists, from symphony orchestra to jazz ensemble, from chamber quintet to symphonic jazz to lush versions with 100-voice choirs and full orchestra.

For Somtow Sucharitkul, artistic director of Opera Siam, to have pulled this event together was nothing short of miraculous, and doubly so considering the constraints that he set for the event. “I wanted to use the very best orchestral, symphonic, and other arrangements that exist for these works,” he said, “but many of the arrangements, such as the ones created for the celebrated Phillips recording of the Manohra ballet by a Viennese symphony orchestra, have proved impossible to trace.”

Somtow had received permission from the late ML Usni Pramoj to use some of his classic orchestrations of His Majesty’s songs, but even with permission, searches in the archives of the Bangkok Symphony and other places turned up only about half of the arrangements known to have existed.

So Somtow and his team embarked on a massive search for extant orchestrations and permissions to use them. In the end, the concert featured many world premiere orchestrations of the late monarch’s works. Some classic versions existed, some done for chamber ensembles by ML Usni, for orchestra and jazz ensembles by Dr Denny Euprasert and for the popular group Jeeb Bangkok arranged by Trisdee na Patalung. All these arrangements were put into the mix, using wherever possible the original arrangers to conduct.

Starting at 4pm, the two marathon sessions lasted until 10pm, with a 90-minute break for dinner. A who’s who of Thailand’s high society turned out for the events, led by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who made an appearance on the second night, and the programme was reshuffled to pack most of the biggest stars into the time slot.

That “golden” slot kicked off with Pod Moderndog, singing “Echo” in his plaintive voice, conducted by Trisdee. Jazz songstress Athalie de Koning paired with “Thailand’s Got Thailand” winner Myra Molloy in a jazzy rendition of Denny Euprasert’s arrangement of “Old Fashioned Melody”.

Somtow Sucharitkul’s “48 Forever” paid homage to the late king’s talent for composition. Photo/Opera Siam

More memorable moments from Her Royal Highness’ segment included a plaintive “Alexandria” with solo violin, chorus, a the lovely choirboy soprano of German chorister Raphael Ayrle, arranged by Somtow, who also created a hilarious version of the “Egg Menu” featuring jazz solos, six opera singers, a chorus and a frying pan!

Notable too were the full-on opera contributions from Chicago Lyric Opera’s Stacey Tappan who sang a hair-raising top F in the song “I Never Dream”, imaginatively arranged for countertenor Camp Asawa, coloratura soprano and chorus.

Most striking of all were the two solos sung by the royal granddaughter, Khun Ploypailin Jensen, who proved herself no mere “guest celeb” but a thoughtful artist, whose performance of “Rak” arranged by Trisdee and “Love Over Again”, a world premiere arrangement by Somtow, brought tears to the eyes of many.

Luk thung artist Jonas Anderson contributed an entertaining take on “Oh I Say”. Young artists from the Opera Siam Young Soloists programme, Lookpla (Areeya), Heart (Naprach) and Pop (Chaiporn) also sang with enthusiasm and a lot of love. And the big concert band from Wat Suthi played five rousing numbers.

Indeed, perhaps the most amazing thing about this event is that it didn’t feel like a six-hour concert at all. Almost all of those who came at 4 stayed until the end. It was probably the first time ever – despite that fact that these tunes are so familiar – that audiences had been exposed to the full range of King Bhumibol’s musical genius. From ballet excerpts to cutesy ditties, from serious tear-jerkers to light-hearted jingles, these are melodies that have deservedly been part of the lives of everyone who lives in this country for decades.

Somtow’s “48 Forever” brought awareness of His Majesty’s songwriting skills to an international level. Choosing the arrangements of world-class composers to showcase these melodies made them shine more brightly than ever. Somtow said in his opening remarks, “We are here to plant 48 beautiful seeds in the rich soil of our country’s creativity. We are here to send 48 messages of joy to those who will come after us.” He plans to parlay this project into a major initiative to make top quality orchestral versions of His Majesty’s songs available to performers around the world, and to ensure the legacy remains appreciated for generations to come.

Paul Phothyzan considers himself first and foremost an artist who’s created a substantial body of work since becoming interested in the arts in 1997. Some of the most startling results of his experimentation are now on view at the Singapore Art Museum.

Paul earned his bachelor’s degree in painting at the National Institute of Fine Arts in 2007 and a master’s in visual arts at Thailand’s Mahasakham University in 2011.

He’s had solo exhibitions at Champa Muanglao in the French Language Centre in 2004 and the Mask Gallery in 2015, both in Vientiane.

Paul Phothyzan’s installation displays at Singapore Art Museum. Photo courtesy of Paul Phothyzan.

There have also been group exhibitions both at home and abroad. He participated in the Asian International Art Exhibition in Bangkok and Singapore Biennale 2013, the Fukuoka Tiennale Japan and Milan Art and Design Exhibition in Singapore in 2014, the Remembrance Re-imagining Asean + Korea Exhibition in Jakarta in 2015, and the Gongju International Art Festival in South Korea.

Paul says he now has a better grasp of his art and “where it lives in the world” than when he first started out, adding that there are many forms that can relay ideas.

He says drawings and paintings can only transform some ideas and feelings, but he realised the “frame” in which he painted and drew had become much smaller and narrower. He decided in 2007 to go outside the frame by exploring installations and “land art”.

Paul has continued developing these pieces with an eye to creating a “new trend of exhibitions for the Lao public”.

The exhibition in Singapore includes a “boat” he fashioned from the casing of a bomb dropped on Laos sometime during the war. Inside, he planted flowers, reflecting the largely rural lifestyle in Laos.

“The concept was that something meant to destroy could be put to good use – what was once dangerous instead benefits people in the form of a boat or a garden,” he says.

More than 1,000 people attended the show’s opening earlier this month. The exhibition continues for four months, ample time to convey a sense of the work being produced by Lao artists. The show also features work by Japanese, Thai and Singaporean artists.

The show is part of the seventh edition of a family-focused project titled “Imaginarium: To the Ends of the Earth”. It offers a closer look at our surroundings so we can better appreciate how people, animals and plants adapt to the changing environment.

After Singapore, Paul’s pieces will return to Laos for a show at Vientiane’s Eastern Art Gallery, which he founded in 2015 to bring art to children and students who love drawing and painting but have no time in school to develop their skills.

“I saw a lot of kids who loved art, but whose parents wanted them to focus on other fields,” Paul says. “They don’t really have much time to study art in school, so that was the reason I opened the gallery, to provide art education on weekends for young people.”

Hundreds of students have since visited the gallery on weekends, which has up to six teachers available at any given time. “During school vacations I hire some of the city’s art teachers to run classes at the gallery,” Paul says.

Some come from the National Institute of Fine Arts, and others are freelance artists.

“Studying art helps people see the beauty in things,” Paul says. “The delicate aspect of art can also ease some of our current social problems and help people to relax.”

The Ministry of Culture’s Office of Contemporary Arts and Culture (OCAC) has now announced its new policies and strategies for supporting contemporary arts and culture, which is in effect from now until September, 2021.

Artists, scholars and critics in various arts disciplines, including many recipients of OCAC’s Silpathorn Award, shared their opinions and offered project proposals in accordance with the new agenda over a recent two-day seminar.

On the first day, Silpakorn University professor Eakachat Joneurairatana moderated the discussion on costume, graphic, product and interior designs as well as architecture and visual arts. On the second, I did the same for literature, film and performing arts.

The Metamorphosis (Android Version) bridges the disciplines of arts and science.

Photo/Madoka Nishiyama

The two key missions are, first, to promote and to support the development and distribution of knowledge and educational resources in contemporary arts and culture, and second, to promote and to support the integration of relevant sectors in the creation of contemporary arts and culture to drive forward the creative economy with social and economic values.

My hopes for the future soared when I saw the word “integration” in the OCAC’s agenda booklet along with plans to cooperate with, among others, the education and foreign affairs ministries as well as foreign cultural institutions. Integration and co-operation in this country are indeed rare – just look at how many different cards we need on a daily basis.

On this issue, I added that OCAC should also promote interdisciplinary collaboration of Thai artists in different fields. This has been one of the major trends in contemporary arts for many years and several countries have also been merging arts audiences of various genres. I cited as an example Japanese playwright and director Oriza Hirata’s “Metamorphosis (Android Version)”, his adaptation of Czech writer Franz Kafka’s novel into a French-language play starring a Cannes Film Festival award-winning actress, which brought German-language literature buffs, theatre goers, film lovers, French-language students and robot enthusiasts to the same venue. By contrast, contemporary Thai arts works are still attracting a genre-specific group of audiences, owing in part to the lack of arts appreciation classes at all levels of education and the fact that each genre is being taught separately, with little integration.

After a few hours of discussions, proposals from the literature working group included, among others: organising literature festivals, in addition to the existing book fairs, taking an example from that in Ubud, Bali; conducting research in book cover design and book distribution; creating a contemporary arts and culture TV channel or programme; and arranging exchanges of Thai and foreign writers.

Film artists and scholars proposed that OCAC operate a cinematheque at the new arts centre to help promote and distribute independent films; support independent films throughout their process from pre-production to distribution in addition to training and workshop opportunities; offer prize money for films that have been invited to leading international festivals; and also include in this category artists who are working in film and video installation and motion graphics design.

Performing arts practitioners and scholars proposed that OCAC should substantially support the existing major festivals, like Bangkok Theatre Festival (BTF), instead of creating their own festival, which lacks sustainability, like Bangkok Bananas, support the existing networks of artists, scholars and critics; and promote the development of an audience network. They also should be clear on what the Thai identity really is in the contemporary world of arts.

All three groups, interestingly, concurred that databases of working artists and their works should first be updated and linked to the website of OCAC. With the limited budget allocated to OCAC, let’s see how many of these projects are realised in the next four years and four months.

The Nation’s theatre critic Pawit Mahasarinand, left, and OCAC director Vimolluck Chuchat addess the issues. Courtesy of OCAC

I still recall attending a similar event several years ago and one of our proposals back then was the double tax refund to promote the private sector’s support of contemporary arts activities. After all these years, and many governments, it’s finally come true, but it’s not quite like in many other countries. You need to directly donate to OCAC’s fund, not directly to any particular arts groups or projects, in order for your receipt to be valid for a double tax refund.

Apart from giving an overview of its first support agenda, OCAC director Vimolluck Chuchat gave an update on the expansion of the Thailand Cultural Centre (TCC). Scheduled to open this year, it will house the permanent office of the ministry and in a few years, new art galleries, theatres, cinemas, as well as multi-functional spaces that should help realise this new agenda. However, its hope of becoming the Asian cultural gateway may remain a distant hope, if not a pipe dream, as it’s not yet been d ecided how this new arts centre will be run. The current TCC is known as a venue for hire as it’s not producing its own programmes. More importantly, there is no news about its curation and programming. This is unlike such foreign counterparts as West Kowloon Cultural District, the construction of which has not been completed but the curation team has been working and organising relevant programmes for a few years now.

I half-jokingly added that perhaps the TCC should start by integrating itself with the MRT’s TCC station. Arts lovers know only too well that they have to risk their lives crossing a very busy street to reach the TCC. OCAC would do well to remember that no arts centre can be successful unless its physical structure and programmes are both accessible.

The works on show in “Inner Space” dismantle visual processes by deconstructing the physicality of mundane objects and using industrial materials to meticulously reassemble them in pictorial space.

Visual perception, which accounts for 80 per cent of human sensory input, is an active and selective process that is intimately involved in thought and concept formation. Far from the passive reception of visual input, perception is an active reconciliation of the complexity of the outer world and the inner self that beholds it. This process plays out on a physical plane in Zelehoski’s work as he manipulates actual objects to conform to his mental image of them. There is nothing unique about the humble, utilitarian objects that the artist selects. They are activated by their reconfiguration and isolation in space. This allows us to see the subtle beauty of materials that might otherwise seem old or decrepit, the history inscribed in their surfaces by the passage of time. At the same time, we struggle to reconcile the reality of the object with the artificiality of its context and configuration. Our minds try in vain to reconstruct the fragmented objects and, to coax them back into our own understanding of space. In this way they remain active and productive on the level of our experience.

Zelehoski insists that his work is more about physicality (or lack thereof) than a specific concept or narrative. Objects are manifest. They don’t have to mean anything. Still, there are silent narratives at play and inevitably, through subjective associations. As old contexts of objects are obliterated, their beauty is highlighted, giving them a new order and coherence.

The show runs through June 24.

In their works, Guo Hongwei, Wen Yipei, Jiang Pengyi, Shen Han, Guan Jun, Xu Qu, Hu Weiyi and Wang Mai reflect on capitalism, weaving a visual scene of the implications of world history from four conceptual perspectives: nature, the body, identity, and images. Through the intertextual relationships between the artworks, an historical, silhouetted relationship between capitalism and cosmopolitanism is presented.

For example, in Wang Mai’s works “Pearlescent No 2” and “Space Bodhisattva”, space technologies are portrayed as new national myths or ideologies in a world where we accept the position of instrumental rationality (science) in governing the world. Through the random presentation of pictures, Hu Weiyi’s video installation “Glance” very clearly shows this subjective intermediate world.

The show, which runs through October 31, features 15 acts, including the “Fly Team Show”, a group of gymnasts who perform high abseiling and “Spiderman”, which boasts performers dressed at the superhero swinging and hanging from spider-web ropes. Highlights include “Magic” (Crazy Doctor), the magic show from “Thailand’s Got Talent” and the “Globe of Death”, in which 5 motorcyclists ride vertically and horizontally within a big globe.

Thanyarat Kongsujarit, the director of Diamond Interest International, recently launched the “Magical Circus of Siam” by inviting celebrities along to watch the show. The famous faces included Pooklook Fonthip, Yardthip Rajpal, Manow Sornsilp, Mookda Narinrak, Mew Lucknara, Nut Morris Le Grand Amy Amarie, Ploy Runlada, Gam Gawintra, Fame Chawinroj, Blew Worapon, Champ Chanathip, Ball, Jitrapanu, A Chernyim, Zoom, Saint, and Sarette.

More than 100 orphans from the southern provinces of Thailand and from Bangkok also attended the show.

Tickets cost from Bt800 to Bt1,800 to Bt800 at Thai Ticket Major. Call (02) 262 3456 or visit http://www.ThaiTicketMajor.com.

The artist focuses on the four elements, paying tribute to nature and the way it has given birth to our technological world.

Born in 1958 in northern France, Deloffre only began painting in his 30s but his work quickly caught the attention of the art world with exhibits in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Montreal, New York, Monaco, and Paris. As an internationally renowned artist, his works can be found in many private and public collections around the world such as the Hamburger Bahnhof Museum in Berlin, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Montreal, the National Foundation for Contemporary Art in Paris.

S Gallery acts as a showcase for emerging and established Thai and French artists.

The cocktail reception for the opening night of the show will be held on June 1, starting at 6pm and “Elements” runs through September 1.

The gallery is open daily from 10 to 10. Entry is free. For details, call (093) 582 6588 or visit http://www.Sofitelbangkoksukhumvit.com.

LONDONERS got to see Tosakanth courting Sita and Hanuman hunting Suphanmatcha this month – episodes from the Ramakien presented in the full glory of elaborately costumed khon |theatre.

The shows staged by Thailand during London Craft Week at the beginning of May were a chance to promote the arts and crafts revived and developed under the guidance of Her Majesty the Queen.

The organisers of London Craft Week, an annual event initiated by Charles, the Prince of Wales, invited the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles to present an exhibition this year.

“Dressing Gods and Demons: Costumes for Khon” was accompanied by performances of the traditional masked dance. The episode of the epic poem Ramakien known as “Tosakanth Courting Sita” was staged at the Victoria and Albert Museum, and both that segment and “Hanuman Chasing Suphanmatcha” were mounted at the Thai Embassy and Two Temple Place, the former Astor House that’s now a public gallery.

Museum deputy director Nadhawan Tanyongmas said the embassy sponsored the exhibition and khon performances in London, along with Thai Airways International and Thai Beverage.

The aim was to show the world how devoted the Queen has been to reviving Thai classical arts, including khon, and to promote Thai embroidery, mask making and other khon crafts.

“Foreigners are always very impressed by the craftsmanship involved because it’s so elaborate,” said museum consultant Dr Anucha Thirakanont, who curated the exhibition.

“They might have heard about khon, but they might not know about the costuming process. I was able to explain, for example, how it takes more than 30 minutes to dress each performer for a show.”

The third London Craft Week had as its theme “Beyond Luxury”. More than 230 events gave visitors glimpses of design, fashion, art, cuisine and luxury goods from all corners of the globe, with major artists and retail brands participating.

THEATERTREFFEN has been held in Berlin every May since 1964 and has as its centrepiece the 10 “most remarkable productions” staged by German theatres over the season. The works are selected by a small group of theatre critics who travel throughout the federal republic as well as Austria and Switzerland all year round.

Earlier this month, Germany’s Federal Foreign Office invited 22 theatre experts from 22 countries on a Theatertreffen-themed seven-day Willkommen programme and I was honoured to be among the three Asians.

Arriving two days ahead of the official programme to deal with jet-lag, I attended the opening production, Theater Basel’s “Three Sisters”, a free adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s classic. For the first time, Chekhov’s work didn’t make my eyelids heavy, thanks in part to frequently simultaneous dramatic actions in different rooms of a glass house on a revolving stage, a happy marriage of a director’s, cast members’ and set designer’s work.

The Theatertreffen jury also included works that were not in the German language as long as a German theatre company was a co-producer. That was the case for British collective Forced Entertainment’s “Real Magic”, which will also be part of the British Council’s Edinburgh Showcase this August. Three British performers repeated the same scene from a game show over and over again and yet, thanks to their creativity, it never felt boring and reminded me of our popular TV game shows and, well, life itself.

In International Institute of Political Murder and CAMPO Ghent’s “Five Easy Pieces”, Swiss director Milo Rau showed how he’s a master of documentary theatre. By having Belgian children actors perform the dramatic events surrounding the case of a Belgian child murderer, he dared to push the boundaries and divide his audience.

With deft use of live video, a stage set up that divided the audience into two groups who would never get to watch all the same actions, and engaging contemporary, political and social issues, Schauspiel Dortmund’s “The Borderline Procession” was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that became our group’s favourite work.

There was also ample time to watch productions outside the festival, and I was surprised to find that many works are staged with English surtitles – and the ticket-booking website is also in English – such as the Deutsches Theater Berlin’s “The Glass Menagerie”, another fresh interpretation of a modern classic American drama, and the Schaubuehne’s “Dead Dog at Dry Cleaners: The Strong” by Spanish playwright Angelica Liddell. Even without English surtitles, such as in the case of internationally renowned American director and designer Robert Wilson’s “Faust I and II” at the Berliner Ensemble, a quick refamiliarisation with the German classic and his immaculate staging of his music theatre were enough to keep me fully engaged throughout its four-hour running time.

Apart from watching theatre productions, we listened to lectures by German dramaturgs who explained the structure of German theatre today and talks by independent theatre’s artistic directors and festival curators. We also had discussions with the production teams of the productions we attended. Information on co-production funds by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and the Goethe Institut, which organised our tour, was also given. A meeting with students and professors from Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts introduced how the acting techniques introduced by Russian director Constantin Stanislavsky and those by German counterpart Bertolt Brecht are being taught together. Another meeting with the Inter-University Centre for Dance Berlin explained how the professors are training a new breed of choreographers who do not need a dance background.

B-Floor in Berlin

If you were wondering why you haven’t been able to find a performance by B-Floor Theatre, otherwise one of Thailand’s most prolific companies, in the past few weeks, wonder no more. It’s because three core members were all in Berlin, fully engaged in two aspects of Theatertreffen.

Performer, director and producer Sasapin “Pupe” Siriwanij was among the under-35-year-old theatre artists from 22 countries selected from a few hundred applicants to join the festival-long “International Forum”, which describes itself as “a creative research laboratory that endeavours to open up new knowledge and alternative spaces of communication.”

Apart from conducting brief workshops for one another, they attended workshops by international artists, watched theatre performances in and out of the festival as well as attended talks, forums and discussions throughout the festival.

Looking back, Pupe says, “I learned more things than I can properly articulate at the moment. The most precious experience was to exchange with all these young, enthusiastic, self-motivated theatre professionals from so many different countries. Maybe because I’m fond of culture, I see many things through cultural perspectives. The participants were constantly in conversation and vocalising differing opinions, which made me see the level of interest in culture and in what kind of dialogue a culture melds with another. I also learnt again and again how very ignorant I – and indeed Thais in general – are of many other cultures around the world.

“I saw possibilities for making theatre as well as having discussions around theatre itself. It can take many forms, and I shouldn’t be worried about things being too intellectual, too ‘strange’, or too new, because anything should be possible – and it already is, just not so much in Thailand,” she continues.

“For example, a discussion about a performance should strive to be faithful and honest and intellectual instead of being all about politeness and compliments. If someone initiates a workshop or programme, rather than tailoring it to the public, artists or art professionals should assert new intellectual/artistic ventures without holding back.”

Meanwhile, at the invitation of the Goethe Institut, B-Floor’s two co-founders Jarunan “Jaa” Phantachat and Teerawat “Ka-ge” Mulvilai were among the 10 Southeast Asian artists taking part in the International Co-production Fund’s platform for 10 days during Theatertreffen.

Jaa notes, “It’s a great opportunity for us to network with the artists from our region, who interestingly, we don’t get to meet while we’re in our region. Apart from participating in various activities of Theatertreffen, a theatre bookshop was our meeting venue for two days where we showed still and moving images of our works to one another and potential German collaborators and discussed possibilities for co-production.”

The latest Silpathorn performing artist adds, “From the works I watched, I really admire how public support – from federal, regional or city governments –allows German artists time to really engage in certain research topics they’re interested in. That’s totally different from us. We always have to rush from one production to another.

“Plus, I rediscovered the importance of music in performance. German artists are among the leaders in music theatre genre, of course, and that was evident in Schauspiel Leipzig’s ‘89/90’. As the title suggests, that focuses on a major transitional period for this country from the viewpoint of the former East Germany, which is different from that of the West which we’re more familiar with.”

“Five Easy Pieces” was Jaa’s favourite work and Pupe’s too.

“This is a kind of subject matter no one discussed with me when I was that young,” she says.

In the post-show talk, I learned that the creators were aware of how they were making a piece that is constantly critiquing itself and I find that admirable and courageous in an artist,” Pupe adds.

Another two memorable works for Pupe were Konzert Theater Bern’s “The Extermination”, also in the Top 10 and whose production photo was the festival’s key image, and “Music for the Unstageable Theater”, an Egypt-Germany sound installation/performance supported by the Goethe Institut’s International Co-production Fund.

“I like the former’s braveness in presenting a script and characters that seem to have no relation whatsoever to the visual and physical actions on stage,” she explains.

“For the latter, kudos to the solo performer who’s graceful in all his movements and actions. It’s such a beautiful, clever and subtle way of addressing violence and oppression in a context where such criticism is practically forbidden.

“I now believe now more than ever in international collaboration, and the meaning of both ‘international’ and ‘collaboration’ has tremendously expanded. I’m already initiating some collaborations with my International Forum colleagues, and this may take the form of a production, a training, or a conference.”

As for Jaa and Ka-ge, in addition to possible collaboration with Southeast Asian artists, Jaa says, “We met a German artist who started from dance and has now moved to interactive performance and that’s another possibility.”

It’s evident here that Theatertreffen is much more than a showcase of contemporary German theatre. Thanks to the cooperation of many public and private agencies who share similar visions, it’s a meeting place for theatre artists, audiences and patrons from many corners of the world. And you don’t have to be fluent in the German language to enjoy it or benefit from its wide array of activities.

Of course, having Currywurst for breakfast and downing the odd local beer are another advantage.

The writer wishes to thank Vera Clemens, Gisela Lerdmaleewong, Caroline Philipp, Ariane Pauls, Ozlem Ela Cosen and Vincent Bozek for their assistance.

PLENTY MORE TO READ

– More details on Theatertreffen are available in German and English at http://www.BerlinerFestspiele.de.

– To find out more about German dance and theatre today, visit http://www.Goethe.de/en/kul/tut.html

– For co-production funding opportunities, see http://www.KulturStiftung-des-bundes.org

– To find out what’s on stage in Berlin, go to http://www.Berlin-Buehnen.de/en

BACK AT the Cannes Film Festival for the fifth year, popular British-Thai actress Araya “Chompoo” A Hargate once again drew plenty of admiring glances. This time though, the applause was not just for her inimitable style, but also for a baby bump that looked glamorous in its own right thanks to the careful design of four stunning couture gowns.

Araya, who is five-months pregnant with twins, was again representing the festival’s beauty category as the brand ambassador of L’Oreal Thailand and credited her impeccable styling to her close collaboration with fashion magazine, L’Officiel Thailand.

For the premiere of “Ismael’s Ghosts”, Araya wore a white Ralph and Russo dress with a silk cape covered with crystals and ostrich feathers. For “Loveless”, Araya was attired in a black Olivier Theysken gown that was the perfect complement to the sapphire and diamonds of Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection.

And Araya’s happiness at walking down the staircase with her husband Visrut “Nott” Rangsisingpipat was evident as she brought an added glow to the voluminous gown in fuchsia by Zuhair Murad paired with Chopard’s diamond-drop earrings to the premiere of “120 Beats Per Minute”.

Last Sunday, she wrapped her chic maternity moments on the red carpet at the 70th Cannes Film Festival with compliments pouring in from fans as well as the world’s fashion bibles.

Vogue.com wrote: “With celebrities from all over the world vying for attention, it can be hard to stand out – but there’s no fashion challenge that Araya “Chompoo” Hargate can’t handle”.

RedCarpet-FashionAwards.com added further praise, writing: “Araya’s look was all about bringing drama to the carpet, from the oversized peplum, to the sultry sheer skirt, the opera gloves and Chopard high jewellery collection pieces. This is a worthy look for Cannes.”

The actress was also selected as having one of the best looks at Cannes 2017 by Vanity Fair.

For her final appearance on the red carpet for the screening of “The Meyerowitz Stories”, Araya stunned the crowd by dressing the bump in a couture gown created by French atelier Alexis Mabille complete with a quilted red cape that trailed behind her. The brand ambassador for L’Oreal Paris (Thailand) was made up on the theme “Flawless Finale”. Chopard’s diamonds completed the look and ensured Araya looked every bit the star.

Prior leaving the country to France early in May, Araya took a few minutes to chat with XP about her red carpet moments. Excerpts:

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BEING REFERRED TO AS “MAE IS MAE”, MEANING A FASHION ICON AND A MOTHER?

I’d certainly like to thank my fans. Fashion is something that I love and I know my style, which is rather diverse, having been through a lot of trials and errors. I can be sweet, sexy or hip-hop wild but on a normal day I like to wear something comfortable.

PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE ON THE RED CARPET

Well, the first year I wasn’t quite sure what to do so I played it by ear. After that I learned to balance my Thai fans’ expectations with the attention of the international media. It’s a little complicated. No matter how hard you work to prepare your look and your makeup, you still need to present yourself as outstanding. The danger is that you try too hard and you lose your charisma.

The red carpet has its own special moments. It’s impossible to describe in words. For example, when I work on a visual campaign, the team tells me: ‘act like you’re on the red carpet’. You cannot really fake it. Your eyes cannot lie.

At this point everything in life in priceless. I feel complete as a woman. I’ve grown up these past five years, going from being single to married, and now a mother. My eyes reveal that I’m stronger.

WHO ARE YOUR IDOLS ON THE RED CARPET?

I’ve been watching everybody. Each year there are so many big names. The global spokespersons for L’Oreal such as Julianne Moore, Jane Fonda, Gong Li, Fan Bingbing and Li Bingbing are so elegant and graceful. Age cannot affect their beauty. And look at Aishwarya Rai! Last year she celebrated her twentieth walk on the red carpet. They all inspire me. They have all travelled their own journeys and experienced their special moments. All the pressure is gone. You leave everything and enjoy the moment.

I know some people question whether I should even be at the film festival or feel that society pays too much attention to beauty. All I can say to those criticisms is that the festival is by invitation only. Like all events it has a commercial side and L’Oreal is one of the main sponsors. I might not be there to present a film but for me, as a Thai, it’s an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the industry. I hope I am up to this and I am very grateful for all the support.

n Araya’s “Cannes 2017 Day Look” is completed with rich moisturising nude lipstick (L’Oreal Paris Colour Riche Cream C405) and her glowing complexion is enhanced with the light-cream and matte-finish texture of L’Oreal’s Lucent Magique Porcelain Cushion.