(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Thai puppet masters have put on an impressive performance of Thai classical puppetry featuring acclaimed Joe Louis Theatre which captivated the crowd with their artistic genius acquired from over a century of puppet art tradition.
The show was the main highlight of Thailand's Cultural Night 2015 held on Thursday at Grand Hyatt Doha and was attended by representatives of diplomatic missions, the Thai community, the private sector and other guests.
"In the past years, the Royal Thai Embassy regularly brought traditional Thai cultural performances and shows to the Qatari public in response to the Royal Thai Government's soft diplomacy policy that encourages Thai diplomatic missions around the world to actively promote traditional Thai culture," said Ambassador Piroon Laismit.
Ambassador Laismit took the opportunity to invite the guests in celebrating the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Thailand and Qatar.
The cultural night kicked off with the "Thai Blessing Dance," a traditional dance which symbolises wishes for good things and usually performed on auspicious occasions for the happiness in every undertaking. It was followed by "Living Puppet," a contemporary performance depicting a blend of two streams of Thai art forms namely Nora, the folk entertainment of the South and classical small puppetry using innovative elements.
Puppeteers also demonstrated how they breathe life into the lifeless puppets giving them various emotions such as love, anger, fear and laughter. The crowd was awed by the sheer coordination and flair of the three puppeteers controlling one puppet and making it appear as if it were alive.
The highlight of the show was a puppet performance featuring a scene from the well-known epic "Ramayana" which portrays Hanuman, a central character, seizing Benyakai who disguised herself as Sita, the central female character of the popular epic.
Established decades ago, Joe Louis Theatre, boasts as the first and only puppet troupe in Thailand which regularly presents shows abroad. Its founder Sakorn Yangkhiesod is a National Artist whose parents were members of the troupe of the founder of Thai classical small puppet theatre.
The troupe has won accolades locally and internationally in the field of puppetry including awards from the World Festival of Puppet Art in Prague, Czech Republic. They are set to perform at the World Puppet Festival in France at the end of this month.
Guests at the event were taken into a gastronomic journey through the exquisite flavours of Thailand tasting a mélange of scrumptious Thai cuisine including Pad Thai, Som Tum, Tom Yum, among others.
Copies of "Discovering Thai Cuisine in Qatar," a handbook featuring authentic Thai recipes and ingredients were distributed among the guests. The handbook also serves as a useful reference to foodies as it lists the various outlets in Qatar where Thai food ingredients are available as well as a directory of Thai restaurants in the country. In addition, it also provides relevant information on Thai tourism.
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