Why these particular stories?
I had the chance to go to Germany earlier this year and one of my friends showed me the silent film Un Chant d’Amour which Jean Genet directed, based on his own poetry. This black and white silent film presents homosexuality and life in prison, written from his own experience. This film was produced in the 1950s; he dared to produce the film though it was considered indecent and banned in the US at that time. Not only does the plot inspire me, but also the fact that he made the film without expecting anyone to cherish him. As for Le Funambule, or The Tightrope Walker, I really relate to the story; being an artist is like walking on a tightrope every day. Every step is a risk. If you want your artistic career, you have to take risks. Some might quit when they fall down while others keep walking on and on.

How is this piece an evolution from Circus Electicus?
I’d say Circus Electicus at Bed Supperclub was my first try. At first, I picked only Le Funambule and the concept of taking risks, presented through the story of a dancer. I got a lot of positive feedback after the show, so I decided to develop the full story but focus more on the context of both pieces, which I couldn’t do in Circus because it’s dinner theater and still has to be entertaining.

What about the cast?
I cast all the performers exactly as they were described in the stories. Well, at least the concept of the characters: someone born to be an artist who can do it all very well, and someone who wants to be an artist but doesn’t dare to take the risk. I came up with five performers to represent each of the characters. They didn’t even have to play the characters, because they are so much like them. Like one performer: he used to be in the National Theater, so he’s someone who is born to be an artist.

What can we expect to see in the show?
It’s not that explicit; there are interpretations of the concepts I’ve mentioned; no exact story line or dialogue. 25% of the music will be tango and classical mixed with live sounds from the performers. Sometimes we don’t follow the script, but we get the message across.

You’ve done many shows in the past few years. What is the response from Thai audiences?
Thai audiences always have a block when it comes to this kind of show as they are always afraid that they won’t understand it. But not understanding is a good sign; it lets the mind figure things out. If one percent of the audience is Thai, I’d be happy. In Thailand, we have other entertainment choices that draw people away from art. Plus, our culture teaches us to follow others; it’s considered wrong if we create something new. I never get support from Thai organizations even when I did khon stuff.