I promised them to go to Pantip Plaza a huge mall with 4 stories just of electronics, games, computers, photo equipment etc... to buy some new Nintendo DS games, and they were asking me since we left Samui, when are we going to BKK?? Well, the time has finally arrived!! And to get rid of the questions we went immediately to the plaza to buy their games. Girls happy.... we ALL happy!!
The other thing Juliet and Jasmine really wanted to see was the puppet show at the Joe Louis theatre in the Suan Lum Night Bazaar, this was one of their highlights the last time we were in Thailand when the girls were just 4 years old. We were extremely lucky to be there this month, since it was their last month of performing. So sad, but they had to close it down due to lack of interest of the public and so not making enough money to keep the show going!! It was beautiful though and we truly enjoyed this last performance!!
We were not allowed to take pictures inside the theatre, but at the entrance they had a doll from Joe Louis with one of his puppets.
Bangkok's Joe Louis Puppet Theater, also known as “Nattayasala Hun Lakorn Lek,” is one of Bangkok's top but most underrated attractions. It was founded by the late master of puppets Sakorn Yangkhieosod in 2002, whose English name was Joe Louis, and showcases the remarkable Thai traditional art of puppetry.
These were 2 people, one dressed and reacting like a doll, controlled by his master! The doll only reacted on the movements of the levers and would hang his body like a puppet if it wasn't moved by the other guy. All the movements went syn chrome, not one was missed. Really amazing to see!
Each doll has 4 people performing on it at the same time. One for each arm and leg, this training takes years to learn the skill and it went from Joe Louis to his children and now his grand children!
This set of last performances they showed you how the dancers were doing it, normally you don't see the people they are behind a stage. But this was just to show the public how hard it is to perform these dolls.
All the dolls are handmade, mostly by Sakorn 'Joe Louis' Yangkhieosod himself, but he passed away in 2007, so now his family continues the tradition. They also lost a lot of dolls when their house burned down, so sad!!
Unfortunately this is the final week visitors will be able to check out the legendary troupe in its 400-seat Natayasala Theatre at the Suan Lum Night Bazaar (which is a great one stop shopping plaza), as the last performance was set for Sunday, August 29. We were there on July 28th. Check out the link here, to see some backstage pictures of this amazing show!! I am really sad that this show is not there anymore. An ancient art that is disappearing from Thailand!
Thailand just an amazing country full of surprises, ancient art and plazas full of goods to buy!!
Sawasdee Kha,
Mireille
6 comments:
LOVE IT!
wow that looks amazing, how sad that it will be ending.
Oh how fun!!!!!!!
What a fantastic opportunity to see that show! Almost as exciting as the electronics plaza! :)
Looks like an amazing show! So sad it will no longer be there. Glad the girls got their DS games!!
We loved reading about your time in Thailand. So sad the theater is closing - we're making plans to be in Bangkok in October and my mom just told me she wants to see this theater. I had to break the bad news to her that we're a few months too late. =(
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