Living Heritage of Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre

If you have been to Bangkok, you would probably remember the huge Yaksha statue at Suvarnabhumi Airport. This imposing statue with green skin and sharp eyes isn’t just a decoration but a cultural symbol; it is the first gateway to Thai mythology, impressing you powerfully. You can also see this statue easily at the entrance of the temples and the Grand Palace in Bangkok. It serves as the starting point of entering Thailand’s profound and colorful spiritual world.

The statue at the airport arouses your curiosity which is finally fulfilled during the Khon performance at Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre at the heart of the city. It is an occasion to fully understand Thai people’s world view through Yaksha. On the Royal Theatre’s splendid stage, Yaksha goes beyond just being a mythological character to be born again as a symbol embodying the essence of Thai culture. Yaksha is sometimes a loyal, heroic warrior and sometimes, a wicked devil. In this way, it vividly describes the cosmic duel between good and evil.

Located in the vicinity of the Grand Palace, Sala Chalermkrung Royal Theatre is Asia’s first modern theater which was opened in 1933. The theater’s founding was sponsored by Rama VII and it has become an important cultural venue preserving and developing Thailand’s traditional performing arts. It was once used as an international film theater and since the 1980s when large, privately owned theaters began to open in the country, it has been transformed into a venue of the traditional performing arts. During the traditional arts revival project led by Queen Sirikit in 2007, the theater was renovated to be born again as a performance venue with the newest equipment and 900 seats.

The inside of the theater shows delicate harmony of the traditional Thai architectural style and modern facilities. Colorful decorations, which are mostly red and gold, symbolize the authority of the Thai royal family. Despite its long history, the theater has the newest sound and lighting equipment, offering an optimum environment for performances. At the lobby, there is a small exhibition space focused on masks and costumes used for Khon, giving you a better understanding of the traditional Thai drama before you see the performance.

Khon unfolds Thailand’s national epic Ramakien with colorful masks and dances. The performance starts in the sacred garden of Phra Uma, Shiva’s wife. Hanuman, the monkey god well known for his power and mischievousness, goes inside this forbidden garden secretly. Captivated by the fully ripe fruit he finds there, he eats it without permission. Enraged, Phra Uma puts a curse on Hanuman to take away his power. And she declares that only Phra Ram (Rama), the just king of Ayutthaya, can lift the curse by touching Hanuman’s body.

Weakened by the curse, Hanuman sets out on a long journey to look for Phra Ram. He then hears that Phra Ram is heading to a city called Lanka in order to rescue his wife Nang Sida kidnapped by the devil Thotsakan. Hanuman finally runs into Phra Ram deep inside a forest and kneeling down, he begs the king to lift his curse. Phra Ram does so and Hanuman regains his great power immediately. As Hanuman summons his monkey troops and promises to follow Phra Ram’s orders, Phra Ram appoints him as his most trustworthy general.

Phra Ram orders Hanuman and his ally Sugreeva to lead their army, cross the ocean and build a bridge to Lanka. Hanuman then starts building the bridge by piling huge rocks with his servants. But Queen Supan Matcha, guardian of the sea, and her sea nymphs disrupt the intruders’ work. Hanuman then engages in a fierce fight with Supan Matcha. And using his power and resourcefulness, he finally makes her surrender. Defeated, the sea nymphs end up giving a helping hand to the bridge construction work.

Once the bridge is completed, Phra Ram marches to Lanka. In parallel, Thotsakan mobilizes his troops to stand against Phra Ram’s attack. This is Phra Ram’s ultimate battle to rescue Nang Sida. For this large-scale battle, each of Phra Ram and Thotsakan leads his troops. The Khon performance depicts their duel with colorful mask dances and dynamic mise en scène, illustrating the conflict between good and evil in a dramatic way.