My schedule in Bangkok feels like my schedule back home. I suppose there are universal habits about being in theatre around the world: we’re nocturnal creatures more used to working only after the sun has passed high noon and calling it a day only long after it has set.
I am holding workshops with some of the actors of 2475: The Musical, which is the production that Tua is directing and acting in. The prep work for the show started months ago, but the actors have just started to rehearse. It’s still early days in the rehearsal and Tua has asked if I could run a couple of workshops with them. I was more than happy too! My butt gets really sore if I have to sit down too long in a rehearsal room.
I’m using Nancy Garbor, Paul Binnerts and Kristin Linklater’s exercises gleaned from my experience at La Mama. Since returning, I’ve been consciously trying to work with and articulate what I’ve learned from them with the aim of ingraining it into my own craft. I’ve had the chance to get dirty with Kristin’s voice work as I’ve been teaching a public speaking module at NUS, but not so much with Nancy’s and Paul’s since I haven’t been in a regular theatre space since returning from Italy. So this was my chance to apply it again.
As the 2475 is a musical, I will also be doing some vocal workshops with the chorus and the leads.
I don’t speak Thai but fortunately they speak enough English for us to communicate. With a little help from Google Translate, we are golden.
Tan Shou Chen 