Retro love

Fai has a blast from the past

By Suwitcha Chaiyong
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb

The charming music and fashions of the 1960s are often referenced in movies and stage plays. From November 2 to 11, the play Ko Lang Wang the Musical: Rak Nee Kue Niran (Love Is Forever the Musical) will present a love story set in ‘60s Bangkok.

In the play, Grandma Rose (Kru Oun Maneenuch) tells her sister-in-law and granddaughter about why she married her husband when she was a popular girl in the past. The story is partly told through popular songs of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, including “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets, “Stupid Cupid” by Connie Francis and Doris Day’s timeless classic, “Que Sera Sera.”

Academy Fantasia singer Nattapat Wipatkorntragoon (Fai) plays the young Rose in the production. The 25-year-old singer recently received a lot attention from TV viewers by playing the sharp-tongued Prim in the high-rating drama, Rang Ngao (Shadow).

Student Weekly recently met up with Fai at Sala Chalermkrung, where the play is being staged, to hear about her experiences working on the musical and about playing Prim.

Student Weekly: How do you feel about the1960s?

Fai: I think my character and appearance go well with retro styles. I wasn’t familiar with ‘60s music before, but I like the fashions from that time. It was so colourful back then.

Student Weekly: Did you have to learn more about Kru Oun’s personality, since you both play the same character?

Fai: No. My personality in the play doesn’t have to be similar to Kru Oun’s because I play Rose when she was young, sassy and lively, whereas Grandma Rose is calm and mature.

Student Weekly: Was working on a stage musical difficult for you?

Fai: It was difficult for me to learn about retro music that I didn’t know before. After learning how to sing the old songs, I found that they’re different from current songs. The lyrics are more detailed and the melodies express the moods of the songs very well.

Student Weekly: What did you learn from working on the play?

Fai: I learned that people in the past reacted to situations differently from how they react now. Women now have equality and can express themselves if they’re interested in a guy. But in the past, women could only glance at a guy, and guys had to show their interest in women by taking care of them and being very polite.

Student Weekly: How do you deal with unexpected problems when you’re performing in a play?

Fai: Concentration and rehearsals are very important for plays because they’re performed live. I used to forget some of the lyrics, so I had to stay focused. Actors have to rehearse until they can remember everything and help one another if something goes wrong.

Also, I try to deeply understand the character I play so that I can respond to the other characters naturally. If something goes wrong, I’ll still be in character.

Student Weekly: What do you think about your work on Shadow?

Fai: I’m very glad about it. My character Prim seems like a bad person, but she isn’t evil. She expresses how she feels aggressively because she has a crush on Weekit. He’s interested in Munin, so Prim dislikes Munin. She’s just a colourful character who is honest about her feelings.

Student Weekly: Which part of the play is your favourite?

Fai: The part when Rose understands her true feelings. Unfortunately, the guy she loves has to leave her and go far away. Her feelings are expressed through The Carpenters’ song, “End of the World,” which says that she can’t be happy without him.

Student Weekly: Why should our readers check out Love Is Forever the Musical?

Fai: You’ll experience the lifestyle, music, fashion and language in the past. The songs in the play are classics. When you hear the songs, you’ll understand why they’re still adored by audiences everywhere.

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