'Kampha and the Ivory Princess' stages special performance

The “Kampha and the Ivory Princess” stage play showed in a very special performance at the National Cultural Hall in Vientiane yesterday.

“Kampha and the Ivory Princess” is based on a local fable which was modified for the stage, while being billed as “a romantic legend of poignant love set in a luxuriant dream-like landscape redolent of the quaint beauty of Lao culture.”

The Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism in cooperation with a local company in China built the play’s dramatic stage in an effort to exchange, promote, preserve and develop art and culture between Laos and China.

“Kampha and the Ivory Princess” describes the battle between justice and injustice while the stage play also showcases the art and culture of Laos as well as the wistful, romantic love between that of Kampha and the Ivory Princess.

The “Kampha and the Ivory Princess” stage performance has a total of six scenes and a running time of 90 minutes. The play features the work of 100 performers from all across Laos and 50 other actors and performers from China.

The Chinese company behind the play also took 50 performers from Laos to train in the performing arts for about 45 days in China to allow the final performance to go as smoothly as possible.

According to a Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism official, those who missed an opportunity to be in the audience will get another chance to do so as “Kampha and the Ivory Princess” will be shown every day from May 2 until interest wanes.

One of the audience members, Chanthanousy Soukkhaintha said that the “Kampha and the Ivory Princess” play was very interesting because the theme jumped off the usual “love of a couple” story -- it also taught dharma to the audience.

Each scene is an embellishment of the other and it is great if someone can join the audience again so they will then persuade their family and friends to join the audience with them, Chanthanousy added.

Member of the audience Niddaphone Phongnakhone said she liked the performance and felt that the actors were excellent and that the costumes were magnificent and beautiful, especially the white elephant. Each scene of the performance was fantastic and was something that she had never quite seen before.

People who missed the opening of the stage play can come to enjoy the show again, as it starts again for a run of shows on May 2.

(Vientiane Times)