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Regent’s students bring Shakespeare’s
“The Comedy Of Errors” to the Globe stage
Michael Thomas
The Regent’s School, Pattaya
A cast of 31 secondary students, aged 14-18 recently staged Shakespeare’s
The Comedy of Errors in the Globe Theatre. The production involved 8 weeks
of rigorous rehearsals which included a preparatory workshop on Commedia
dell Arte led by Drama teacher Suzzie Sauer.
 Lucy
shows Dromio who’s boss.
The distinctive design reflected the slightly dystopian, distorted and
magical world of Ephesus, a small coastal town in modern-day Turkey that
forms the backdrop of the action. The Comedy of Errors, published in 1594,
is one of Shakespeare’s earlier plays and is based on a comic play,
Menaechmi, by the Roman writer Plautus. The action is also strongly
influenced by the improvised stories and stock characters of Commedia dell
Arte which plays on the duplicity between masters and servants, as well as
Elizabethan notions of the role of women in society. The characters’
obsession with money and wealth similarly mirrored the growing power of the
middle classes in Elizabethan England. As with a number of Shakespeare’s
plays, the sea forms a symbolic background of the fates of the principal
characters.
 The
Commedia troupe tell Egeon’s story.
The story of the play focused on the unfortunate Egeon (confidently played
by Christian Wermelin) a merchant of neighbouring Syracuse, who is condemned
to death in Ephesus for violating the ban against travel between the two
rival cities. He tells the Duke that he has come to Ephesus in search of his
wife and one of his twin sons who were separated from him 25 years
previously in a shipwreck. The other twin, who grew up with Egeon, is also
traveling in search of the missing half of his family. The identical twins,
both called Antipholus, are accompanied by two similarly identical servants
called Dromio! Needless to say, the play provides much scope for a catalogue
of mistaken identity and farcical situations, such as Antipholus of Ephesus
begging to be let in to his own house for dinner whilst Adriana his wife
mistakenly entertains the ‘other’ Antipholus! After some breathtaking
action, with the main characters quite literally being tied up in knots, the
truth is eventually revealed with Egeon being mercifully reunited with his
wife, Emilia, and the two brothers, not forgetting the two servants, also
being united in a joyous finale.
 Dr
Pinch cast his spell.
The production was notable for some polished performances, including Jake
Baker on top form as Dromio of Ephesus who was, in turn, suitably
complemented by a skilled and energetic Sargis Poghosyan as the other
servant Dromio of Syracuse. Hike Mazmanian followed up his striking debut
performance in last year’s Secondary Production of Ovid’s Metamorphoses with
a hugely energetic portrayal of Antipholus of Syracuse, again more than ably
matched by Ralf Siegrist as his befuddled counterpart, Antipholus of
Ephesus. Year 10 student, Noa Borenstein perfectly captured the poise and
intelligence of Luciana, sister of Adriana, the latter played with
appropriate aplomb by Unmesha Paladhi.
 Harut
and Noel as Angelo and the Merchant.
As usual in Commedia dell Arte, there is a rich gallery of rogues and
buffoons and these were vividly and amusingly brought to life by Harutyan
Mikhhchayan as the timid goldsmith Angelo, Mink Ki Kim as Balthazar and
Katrina Lavery as the coolly manipulative local Courtesan. Kim Burtchen and
Noel Huangthaong played the shady merchants in true ‘Mafioso’ style with
James Sarginson as a very Scottish ‘quack’ doctor. You would not want to
‘mess’ with John Jestin and Matthew Mansfield who portrayed the menacing
police officers in the distinct style of the Men in Black while Tomer
Borentein, Ploi Boonyeon and Claire Warner gave incisive character
portrayals of the Messenger, the servant girl Lucy and the scary Duke
Solinus, respectively. In contrast, Amelia Marchant persuasively combined
the deep emotion and gravitas that forms the essence of the character of the
Abbess Emelia, Egeon’s long-lost and long-suffering spouse.
A unique feature of this performance was the incidental music composed by
Year 10 GCSE Music student Amit Garg, assisted by Jang Ho Ahn, Naufal Hakim
and Bian Putra Brahmanto. The musical support was also underpinned by a
lively chorus of the people of Ephesus.
The strikingly colorful costumes were expertly designed and made by Mrs
Kathryn Liggins with Design Technology teacher, Ms Tracey Gudonis creating
and making the key components of the set. Gap teacher, David Fletcher ably
led the technical team of Dipesh Lamda and Karina Baker. The production was
directed by Mr Michael Thomas and Mr Martin Walsh, assisted by Year 13 IB
Theatre Arts students, Amelia Marchant and Jake Baker.
The interval gave an opportunity for a prize draw to raise money for the
Amnesty International work being undertaken by Regent’s students to help
disadvantaged young people in Pattaya, as well as the selling of Christmas
cards and other gift items to aid the work of the Camillian Centre, Rayong.
This production also provided an appropriate ‘curtain raiser’ for two future
events at the Regent’s School connected with Shakespeare in 2009: a
Shakespeare Weekend which will involve groups of students from international
schools across Thailand in March followed by a professional production of
Romeo and Juliet performed by the American Theatre Group next April 28th in
the Globe Theatre. Booking information will follow in the New Year.
The cast.
Green police urge
all to plant trees
Theerarak Suthatiwong
“One police station, one temple, one school all co-operating to
plant trees for the Mother and Father of the nation” is the rather long
title of the latest green campaign by police.
In front of Pattaya police station on Soi 9 Pattaya Beach Road on
December 1, Pol Col Sarayut Sanguanpokhai said that the Environmental
Care Unit is part of the central command center of National Police whose
main purpose is to preserve plants and animals.
The unit has launched this new campaign to encourage the public to plant
more trees and cut down fewer of them.
Anyone wishing to plant trees can collect tree seedlings at Pattaya City
Hall or at any police station nationwide.
He said that the campaign ran from November 1 to December 2, also
conducted for the love to our King and Queen and for HM the King’s 81st
birthday on December 5.
“Our King has always had the intention to preserve nature and has always
encouraged Thai people to plant more trees, as this is the main life
source for every species living on this planet,” he said.
Rotarians donate water filter to school
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
Four Rotary clubs donated a water filtration system, English
learning CDs and 800 thermoses worth 80,000 baht to students at Wat Pong
Temple School in Nongprue.
 Satit
Usadee welcomes and thanks
the benefactors.
Members of the Rotary clubs in District 3340 led by Stefan Ryser, past
president of the Rotary Club Eastern Seaboard Pattaya, Brendan Kelly,
president of the Rotary Club Jomtien-Pattaya, and Jan Abbink, past
president of the Rotary Club Jomtien-Pattaya, visited the school
December 8 to present the gifts.
School principal Satit Usadee and students welcomed the Rotarians.
Brendan Kelly said that Rotary is keen to ensure the school children
have clean drinking water for the sake of good health.
He said that school children who were the nation’s future should not be
subject to the risks of contaminated water.
Rotary clubs of Nootdorp-Pijnacker District 1600, Eastern Seaboard,
Jomtien-Pattaya and Phoenix Pattaya pooled their resources to raise
money for the gifts.
The school has 741 students from kindergarten to secondary school class
3. Most of the children are from low-income families with many of their
parents being construction workers. Most of the children followed their
parents here from other parts of the country.
Brendan Kelly, president
of the Rotary Club Jomtien-Pattaya,
addresses the gathering.
The school’s English
teacher (left) receives the CDs for teaching English.
Yea … clean drinking
water!
Students at Wat Pong
School 8 perform
the four region dance as their way of saying thanks.
Rotarians gather for a
group photo after donating the water filtration system
to students in need at Wat Pong School.
Stranded Chinese
doctor kindly rescued
Patcharapol Panrak
A Chinese traditional doctor who came all the way from China to
treat paralysis found himself caught in our recent airport paralysis and
was fortunate to be rescued by staff of Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens.
 Chinese
specialist Dr Wu Zhen-ming was caught out in the recent airport
closures.
Wu Zhen-ming, 61, from Fujian, who practices traditional Chinese
medicine, landed at Suvarnabhumi Airport on November 23 and took a taxi
to his designated accommodation to find that the house was locked.
When he returned to the airport he found that protesters had already
taken it over and closed it. So he had to pay for another taxi for the
long trip to Utapao International Airport, leaving him only 180 baht in
his pocket.
Very fortunately for him Jiraprit Sodorn, sales and marketing manager of
Nong Nooch Tropical Gardens in Pattaya, noticed the doctor hopelessly
walking around Utapao Airport on December 5 after it ceased to serve as
an international airport due to the reopening of Suvarnabhumi and Don
Muang airports.
As he had run out of cash and could not get back to Suvarnabhumi
Airport, Jiraprit had offered him accommodation and food at Nong Nooch.
Director Kampol (“Tong”) Tonsajja also welcomed the stranded healer.
The kind staff at Nong Nooch arranged a flight back to China on December
8. Pattanan Khantisukhapan, general manager, also gave him 5,000 baht.
Wu said that there were many patients in Thailand suffering from
paralysis and other diseases that are incurable buy modern medical
practice and many of them had contacted Wu Zhen-ming to invite him to
come and treat them.
He decided to fly down here but met transportation problems that he
could not cure with acupuncture or any other way.
Kampol said Wu is a traditional practitioner certified by the Chinese
Government who treats cancer, paralysis, aches, and obesity with Chinese
herbs, acupuncture and electric stimulation along with additional modern
medicines.
Seven years ago he came here to successfully cure patients in
Chachoengsao and earned the name ‘Chinese holy doctor’.
While staying at Nong Nooch, some people had asked him to do acupuncture
treatment and just by measuring heart rate, he could precisely tell what
kind of illnesses the patients had.
The doctor said he would return to Thailand again if people were
interested in his treatment.
Let’s hope that our airports would also allow his future return.
Disabled school reviews first year
Sawittree Namwiwatsuk
The Redemptorist School for the Disabled held the first meeting
of its school board to review the past year of teaching.
 Father
Worawut Saraphan.
Father Worawut Saraphan, representative of the license holder, along
with Deputy Mayor Wutisak Rermkitkarn, Sopin Thappajug, the school
committee and teachers attended this meeting.
Father Worawut gave a summary to the school board detailing activities
since the school’s opening on May 6 until the end of term on October 6.
Six subjects were taught with a new one started called Life Development
of the Disabled. However, on the down side, 57 students did not
graduate, as 17 of those students were suspended, 6 were expelled and 34
did not meet requirements to graduate.
Past activities included the Disabled Games 2008 which were “a great
success” with disabled athletes from six nations competing in three
sports. The main highlight was the wheelchair basketball held on August
26-29 at the Pattaya Indoor Stadium.
Then there were the “Sixty years of Phramahathai’s team spirit and
learning” celebrations involving computer and English camps held with
Grade 9 to 12 students of Mae Jam School in Chiang Mai.
The school’s students also provided services to the community including
free fixing of electronic appliances such as fans, fridges, radios and
TVs.
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