With Crescent Moon actors pulling the strings, puppets conspire to bring about world peace

Silpathorn laureate Sineenadh "Nad" Keitprapai, artistic director of Crescent Moon Theatre, has long been a fan of the puppet-theatre troupe Kae Dam Dam - whose works she calls "very black sheep" - and was keen to collaborate.

What she and the troupe's leader, Vasin Mitsupun, have come up with, after making costumes for string puppets at a gathering in Chiang Mai last year, is a strings-attached version of "Tistou of the Green Thumbs", a French's children's tale written by Maurice Druon.

"It's a lovely story that deals with peace, and the performance is part of the ongoing 'Multi-disciplinary Arts Festival: Change to Peace'," Nad says.

"There's a scene in which the title character, who wants the world to be more beautiful and peaceful, plants trees in his father's weapons factory."

Vasin's "very human-like puppets", Nad says, will bring to life "children's dreams that we adults often forget because we use more reasoning than imagination in our daily lives".

"If an adult says, 'Let's plant some trees to stop the war,' it sounds bogus. But if we listen to kids and their dreams, our hearts might soften up, so let's sometimes act and think like kids."

Thai-language narration will be projected on a screen between scenes, ensuring that both local and foreign viewers will be able to follow the story.

A brief preview of "Tistou" last weekend as part of the Bangkok Theatre Festival charmed the audience, particularly the Tistou marionette, which Vasin himself manipulated.

Plant a tree

See "Tistou" tonight through Sunday at the Pridi Banomyong Institute between Thong Lor Soi 1 and Soi 3 at 7.30pm or the weekend matinees at 2.

It's Bt300 for adults, Bt250 for older students, Bt100 for primary- and junior-high students and free for children seven and under.

Book through (081) 612 4769.

See www.CrescentMoonTheatre.com for more.