More than words
Leading mime artists from Germany, Japan and Thailand will perform during the “KonRak Mime Festival 2016” at Sriburapha Auditorium of Thammasat University, Tha Pra Chan campus, from May 20-22 and May 27-29 at 7.30pm. Held to commemorate the centennial anniversary of Dr Puey Ungphakorn by Konnahkhao Mime Academy, the first edition of the international mime festival will see a debut performance by Milan Sladek, the number one mime artist from Germany who has received many awards from other countries in Europe and America. Sladek founded a theatre for mime in Cologne, the first of its kind at the time in Western Europe. He was also the driving force of the very first international mime festival which was held in Cologne in 1976. A director and professor of mime arts, he has given workshops all over the world.
Set to join the festival will be Japan’s mime master Kita Kyoichi. He studied mime with Etienne Decroux, the father of mime art in France, and was invited to participate in overseas dance and mime festivals.
Representing Thailand will be Thai pioneer pantomime artist Paitoon Laisakul. He founded Konnakhao Mime in 1984 and has been performing mime for 30 years. Along with young mime artists, he will both direct and perform the role of Konnakhao (white-faced man) in Ork Thalay (Off The Shore). The festival will also feature artistic contributions of Yano Kazuki, a Thailand-based Japanese mime artist and self-taught Thai mime artist Hao Mime.
There are three sets of performances. Sladek and Kazuki will perform solo on May 20 and 21, Kita and Hao Mime will perform solo on May 27 and 28, and Paitoon and Konnahkhao Mime will give a group performance on May 22 and 29.
Tickets cost 600 baht (1,500 baht for three different performances) and can be purchased from Thai Ticket Major (visit www.thiaticketmajor.com or call 02-2623456). Those interested to buy tickets for deaf children should call 062-757-0440. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Mime for Deaf Children project.