Rumours of a coup ripple through a seaside town, and a famous writer wakes with blood on his hands and a hole in his memory. That is the premise of Sawan-Sawat, a new Thai play running in Bangkok this month — and one that takes a hard look at how state violence echoes through collective memory.

The production comes from Splashing Theatre, the company founded in 2014 by director and playwright Thanaphon Accawyn. It runs from 29 October to 8 November at 7pm at Suan-Kru Angoon Theatre on Thong Lor Soi 3, a small independent venue in the heart of Bangkok's Thong Lor neighbourhood.

The story is set in 1891 in Hua Hin, the royal-era seaside resort town south of Bangkok. Or, a well-known writer, arrives on holiday with his young assistant Wut, just as whispers of a military coup begin to spread. At their guesthouse they meet Pot, an unsettling man who says he is waiting for something to rise from the sea, along with twins Nit and Nooch, Pot's distant relatives. Strange locals, shifting relationships among five people on a parade-like bench and the growing rumours all close in — and then Wut wakes one morning with bloodied hands and no idea what happened. Murderer, or just the victim of a dream?

The cast features Daungjai Hajinsiri, Pakapon Sriraksa, Thongchai Pumonsiri and Waiwai Intananukul. Thanaphon's broader body of work mines histories of trauma and confronts subjects that often go unsaid in public discourse, and this play examines various forms of state violence against the public — from acts committed openly to those left unspoken in public conversation.

For travellers in Bangkok during the run, this is a chance to see contemporary Thai theatre at its most politically engaged, in an intimate venue rather than a big commercial house. Thong Lor is easy to reach on the BTS Sukhumvit line (Thong Lo station), and the soi is packed with restaurants and bars, so you can build an evening around the 7pm curtain. Note that the play deals with heavy political themes, so expect a serious night rather than light entertainment, and check the venue for booking details and language considerations before you go.

Full story via Bangkok Post Life.