Be whisked away on a fairy-tale afternoon this May, with a Jack And The Beanstalk production by the Bangkok Community Theatre (BCT). The one-hour children's play encourages audience participation, designed for English-speaking children aged four to nine, but promises to delight the whole family.
It will be performed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Sukhumvit Bangkok and follows the same format as the successful BCT productions of Hansel & Gretel in 1999, Rumpelstiltskin in 2002, Aladdin in 2003, Puss In Boots in 2005, The Emperor's New Clothes in 2007, and Pinocchio in 2010 — all staged by the same BCT director, Bonnie Zellerbach.
As the audience enters the theatre, the small troupe of actors is already on stage ready to joke with each other and provide all sorts of creative entertainment as the young audience members take their seats. The play introduces the audience to the conventions of the stage (costumes, acting, sets, etc) and then once the "rules" are established, the players jump into high gear. With seemingly boundless energy, they enact the story of young Jack who is duped into selling his prize possession, Daisy the Cow, for a handful of "magic beans".
The action takes place in and around the audience, for example, when the Fairy (Gemma Salmon) works her magic on the beans, she seeks the help of the children in the audience and when Jack (Peevara Kitchumnongpan) wants to cheer up his mother (Priya Thomson), he asks the children to sing her a song. When Jack and his friend the Princess (Anette Andersen) need help to escape from the Giant's lair, the whole room transforms into a mischief of mice, children and parents!
Paul Robere, in the dual roles of the King and the Giant, is an old hand at this sort of participation theatre, having taken part in all six of the previous BCT participation plays, and BCT newcomer, Peter Assimakopoulos, completes the team of six in his role as the silent but ever-cheeky Mime.
Director Bonnie Zellerbach points out that the actors really need to think quickly on their feet when the audience participates in unexpected ways.
"The actors prepare for audience involvement in certain scenes and can easily ad-lib," she says, "but the real challenge is improvising when the children in the audience do something unexpected." Zellerbach went on to note that as a result of the variation in audience participation, no two performances are ever the same: "We are performing Jack And The Beanstalk eight times, but the ever-changing audience participation will make each performance unique."
The afternoon involves more than just the play. Young audience members are invited to come dressed as their favourite fairy-tale characters and will also have the opportunity to enjoy some craft activities. Ticketholders can arrive up to an hour before the show to make handicrafts that can be used during the performance. The crafts have been organised by a team of volunteers from Bangkok Patana School.
"It's really heartwarming to see different organisations join forces to create a truly integrated event for children in Bangkok," says Emma Goligher from Bangkok Patana School. "Making handicrafts before the show and then actually using them in the play turns a simple afternoon's entertainment into a truly memorable occasion and a learning experience as well. We are so pleased to be involved."
The DoubleTree hotel is also offering a "Dine & Swim" package at the hotel's Mosaic Pool Bar with use of the pool, towels, changing facilities and child-friendly snacks, meaning interested attendees can come early for a swim and eat before the show or stay late and have a picnic with friends afterwards.
- Jack And The Beanstalk will be performed at 1.30pm and 4pm daily on Saturday and Sunday, May 23-24 and 30-31.
- Craft activities will be available from 12.30-4pm each day.
- Tickets at 220 baht per person are available at the hotel's concierge desk, call 02-649-6730, or email Anek.Prosper@hilton.com.
- The "Dine & Swim" package costs 200 baht net per child, four to nine years old, 400 baht net per child 10-12 years old, and 750 baht net per adult (15% discount for advance booking).
- For more information, visit www.bangkokcommunitytheatre.com, or call BCT hotline at 081-741-0703 or email beanstalk@bangkokcommunitytheatre.com.
