Absurd theatre, originating in post–World War II Europe, has often been perceived as culturally specific and inaccessible to non-Western audiences. However, contemporary Thai society—shaped by Buddhist philosophical perception, demographic transition toward an aging population, and heightened political sensitivity—provides a fertile context for its reactivation. This practice-based research examines how absurd theatre can function as a contemporary social and political intervention for Thai audiences through a triple-bill production entitled Absurd Sunday, comprising Samuel Beckett’s Come and Go, Edward Albee’s The Sandbox, and Fernando Arrabal’s Picnic on the Battlefield, presented at the Bangkok Art and Cultural Center on April 3rd, 2025. Employing a practice-based and intercultural methodology, the study integrates play selection, translation and cultural adaptation, experimental rehearsal processes, and qualitative analysis of audience responses gathered through post-show discussions. Distinct performance strategies—radical minimalism and silence in Come and Go, and grotesque comic acting in The Sandbox and Picnic on the Battlefield—were used to enhance cultural legibility and thematic impact. The findings demonstrate that Thai audiences relate strongly to absurd theatre due to its conceptual alignment with Buddhist understandings of impermanence and non-attachment, its articulation of anxieties surrounding family responsibility within an aging society, and its capacity to indirectly address political violence and obedience amid contemporary regional tensions. Audience responses revealed heightened ethical reflection, political awareness, and personal self-examination across diverse demographic groups. The study concludes that absurd theatre operates as a universal yet culturally adaptable theatrical language. When strategically contextualized and performed, it can transcend its Western origins to foster critical consciousness and active citizenship in contemporary Thai society, reaffirming theatre’s role as a vital site of social engagement and cultural reflection.

Authors:
Punnasak Sukee, Bangkok University, Thailand

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Punnasak Sukee is currently an Artistic Director of BU. Theatre Company and a Chairperson of The Department of Performing Arts, Bangkok University, Thailand.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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