Morlam, that folk performance art and vocal music from Thailand's northeast and Laos, is having a crack at turning this traditional form into what they're calling ‘the melody of life’. Traditional culture reimagined without the usual nostalgia trip? Rare enough to be worth your time.
There are just two performances on November 24 and 25 at Bangkok Kunsthalle, and calling it Molam Collective actually undersells what Jitti Chompee and Alexandre Fandard have managed here. Chompee, who runs 18monkeysdancetheatre and serves as artistic director at NCCT, knows how to make bodies speak when words fall short. Fandard, a French choreographer obsessed with improvisation, brings restless intelligence to everything he touches.
Classic Isan melodies thread through contemporary movement in ways that shouldn't work but absolutely do. The whole thing's improvised, meaning nobody's seen this exact version before and nobody will again. Well, that makes it feel precarious and wildly alive.
The evening splits in half.
Part one: Fon Français opens with an artistic encounter between Alexandre Fandard, a French dancer, and morlam melody, connecting with healing practices through physical expression.
Part two: Fon Farang continues with performances by Jitti Chompee and artists from Khon Kaen, creating a physical dialogue between cultures that folds morlam's roots seamlessly around contemporary choreography.
Shows run at 7.30pm on November 24 and 25. Tickets are B1,000, or B2,000 for VIP with a book. Reserve at Ticketmelon right here.