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Lakhon Nok
Lakhon Nok (Thai: ละครนอก, pronounced [lā.kʰɔ̄ːn nɔ̂ːk]) Lakhon Nok, or Lakhon Nok Wang, has the following meanings: "Lakhon" means dance drama, "Nok" means outside, and "Wang" means royal residence. Lakhon Nok is a type of traditional Thai dance drama, a performing dramatic art in Thailand that incorporates dance moves, instrumental music, and singing to tell a story. Dance dramas feature actors in various roles, including male, female, and supporting characters, all dressed according to the script in beautiful and eye-catching costumes. The dance moves are synchronized with the lyrics and music, which can be in slow or fast rhythms, evoking feelings of liveliness, joy, or sorrow. Characters express their emotions through body language, utilizing different parts of the body to convey meaning in harmony with the rhythm, melody, and music. This type of dance drama has a storyline originating from outside the royal residence. Consequently, this type of dance drama is called Lakhon Nok.

Overview of Lakhon Nok
Lakhon Nok originated in the early Ayutthaya period. It is a form of drama performed outside the royal residence, evolving from the Menora dance drama by incorporating various acting methods and songs. Originally, it was not referred to as Lakhon Nok; it was simply called dance drama and was popular among ordinary people. Later, the performance style of this dance drama type was introduced into the royal residence. The dance drama performed for the King was named Lakhon Nai or Lakhon Nai Wang, with "Nai" signifying inside. Hence, dance dramas staged outside the inner royal residence came to be known as Lakhon Nok. This distinction arises because Lakhon Nok differs from Lakhon Nai, which was initially a performance exclusively for women. However, in later stages, only men were allowed to perform. The storytelling involves dance moves, singing songs, melodies, and music in its unique style, reflecting the exquisite and beautiful gestures rooted in ancient royal traditions passed down within the royal residence. Contrastingly, Lakhon Nok typically features male performers. The narrative unfolds swiftly, with agility, conciseness, and speed. Singing songs and musical melodies are not as common and are often performed for a shorter duration. The performance can be playful, funny, and involve teasing the audience. Therefore, a name must be established to facilitate common understanding. It is defined based on the performance format, with Lakhon Nok denoting dramatic art performed outside the royal residence.

Lakhon Nok has used many literatures as performance scripts, but there are three stories that cannot be used in Lakhon Nok: Inao (Panji tales), Unarut, and Ramayana. These can only be used as scripts in Lakhon Nai.

Lakhon Nok is a valuable form of Thai performing arts that reflects the beauty, intricacy, and completeness of the country. Through customs, traditions, and culture practiced across various eras, Thai dance provides not only entertainment and joy but also knowledge in both historical and aesthetic dimensions. Furthermore, Thai classical dance is a scholarly pursuit that showcases the wisdom of artistic masters. Thai dance and music are considered priceless forms of art in the country, serving as symbols of national identity with rich cultural heritage. These traditions have been passed down through generations, remaining a source of pride for the youth studying and preserving them for the future.

Lakhon Nok distinctly showcases its value in literature, architecture, painting, and music. Lakhon Nok incorporate poetry and various literary works, emphasizing literary value. The creation of scenes depicting houses conveys architectural value, while makeup, hair styling, and costumes contribute to the artistic value of painting. Additionally, the use of music and singing as accompaniments to performances and dances further enriches the overall cultural experience.

History
In the Ayutthaya period, the term "dance drama" was coined because it refers to a form of drama that incorporates dance moves synchronized with various rhythms. This is particularly evident in Menora dance drama and Chatri dance drama. The performances often include distinctive ways of acting, singing, and providing musical accompaniment. In this regard, the popularity of Lakhon Nok still shares some similarities with Menora dance drama and Chatri dance drama. For example, a rectangular theater allows viewing from three sides without the need to change the set for each scene. There are two entrance and exit doors, and in front of the middle screen is a bed for the characters to sit on during performances. Behind the scenes is a section for characters to rest and dress up. Some scholars interpret "Nok" as meaning outside, referring to the drama performed outside the royal residence. This term contrasts with Lakhon Nai or Lakhon Nai Wang, where "Nai" signifies inside, and "Wang" denotes royal residence. Lakhon Nai is performed inside the royal residence and features an all-female cast. It developed after Lakhon Nok, around the 18th century or the Ayutthaya period. Originally, Lakhon Nok featured all male casts with only three characters: a man, a woman, and a joker. The selection of stories to act was limited within a constrained range. To enhance the show, someone proposed its development by adding more characters.

The dance drama in the Ayutthaya period were just called Lakhon. When the Lakhon Nai occurs, this type of dance drama is called Lakhon Nok. There are many stories for Lakhon Nok in Ayutthaya, but there are still only 19 original stories that are seen nowadays, which are in the National Library of Thailand: Karaket, Kawee, Chaiyatat, Phikul Thong, Pimsawan, Pinsuriwong, Menora, Mongpah, Maneepichai, Sang Thong, Sang Silchai, Suwannasin, Suwannahong, Sowat, Kraithong, Kobut, Chaiyachet, Pahrot and Silpsuriwong. All stories were allowed to perform in Lakhon Nok except for Inao (Panji tales), Unarut, and Ramayana. which were reserved for Lakhon Nai performances.

Later, during the Rattanakosin period, King Rama II composed six Lakhon Nok performance scripts: Kraithong, Maneepichai, Chaiyachet, Khawi, Sang Thong, and Sangsilchai. These were incorporated into the royal drama repertoire, and the performance pattern has been preserved to this day by selecting only the most relevant episodes. In terms of the story and flow of the poem, it is smoother and neater than the poetry of the Ayutthaya period. Due to its non-Royal composition and high quality, non-traditional theater groups often use these scripts for their performances.

After the reign of King Rama II, drama became more widespread than before, especially at the local level. It seemed uninspired to perform dramas with original stories, leading to the emergence of many composers. Originally, Lakhon Nok was performed exclusively by men. In the period of King Rama IV, women were allowed to participate in the shows, resulting in the emergence of many theater groups.

Entering the period after King Rama V, Thai dramas experienced a slowdown, but there were still some newly written scripts. If the script did not specify the genre of the drama, it was always presented in Lakhon Nok.

Characteristics and Perform’s step
Lakhon Nok is fast paced, thrilling, funny, and sometimes obscene. The theater of Lakhon Nok is rectangular in shape and can be viewed from three sides. It is divided into a single screen without having to change according to the story. There are two entrances and exits. In front of the screen in the middle is a bed for the characters to sit on. Behind the scenes is a section for characters to rest or dress. The character Thao Phraya Maharacha may play tricks and mingle with government officials. Using market words, you may abandon tradition. Traditions are sometimes broken in some parts for the sake of having fun. The acting requires being active like the villagers, so the words are normal, like the villagers say, and there is no need to maintain traditions much. In the early days of Lakhon Nok, the characters sang improvised poetry; that is, the characters thought it up while acting.

The steps for performing Lakhon Nok in the past are as follows:


 * 1) Piphat will play the prelude song to call the audience to let them know that the performance is about to begin. After that, they will play the first Pleng Sathu is meaning to show reverence and worship. Pleng Sathu are independent gong songs that allow musicians. Show problems, be creative, develop melodies and use of the gong hand. And end with the Pleng La in the last song is meaning to end the perform.
 * 2) Start with a quick song. An actor who is a leading actor or a noble character. Will come out and sit on the bed together with the courtiers and aides will sing the Wai Khru song.
 * 3) The cantor will sing the Slow Pi Nok song first and other songs will follow, such as the song Rai Nok, a song with a fast-singing rhythm that usually perform in Lakhon Nok because there is a fast pace of action, and the other song are Phlapphla Nok, the Lom Nok song, the Oh Pi Nok song, etc.
 * 4) Sing songs appropriate to the character's roles according to the story. If you want to proceed quickly, use Rai Nok song.

But nowadays, the procedures of the Fine Arts Department for performing Lakhon Nok have been improved in order to be suitable for staging Lakhon Nok performances for the public to watch. The steps to display are as follows:


 * 1) Starting with Piphat playing music. The actor, who is the main actor or noble character, will come out and sit ready with his courtiers and aides.
 * 2) Singers will sing a slow melody first, followed by a double-tempo song.
 * 3) Next, the singer will sing a song appropriate to the character's role. According to the story, if you want to move the story along faster, you often use different songs.

Dance style
Consisting of standard dance movements based on the basic elements of Thai classical dance, this dance incorporates naturalistic movements and those known as Ram Kam Bea. These include simple gestures such as pointing, placing the hand on the chest, and clapping. The emphasis is not on the beauty of Thai classical dance.

The characteristics of the dance in the Lakhon Nok are as follows:


 * 1) The movements depend on the story being performed. Generally, the female character can move rhythmically, sometimes smoothly, sometimes quickly and energetically depending on the role. There are both structured and unstructured movements.
 * 2) When expressing emotions, clarity is achieved through the portrayal of emotions that align with the character's role. This involves using facial expressions, eyes, eyebrows, mouth, and gestures. Importantly, the grace of the dance must fully convey the feelings and personality of the character in that particular moment.

Lakhon Nok dancing style must be performed with energy, which can be expressed through gestures and dance moves more than Lakhon Nai. The posture and dance should look lively and realistic, in accordance with the role. It should be exciting and motivating, a solo dance must captivate the audience, keeping their eyes focused on the performance. To achieve this, the same strategies as in dramas should be employed, including the use of facial expressions, smiles, and direct eye contact with the audience to maintain their interest.

Occasions of performances
In the past, Lakhon Nok was a theater that commoners played in a local way outside the royal palace. Therefore, it had more performances than Lakhon Nai. Lakhon Nok was also a theater that was hired to make a living when someone hired them to play. If it was a big event, they would stay there for a long time. They performed both auspicious events such as temple annual events, new temple celebrations, and welcoming ceremony, and inauspicious events such as funerals. In Thailand, nowadays they are rarely to see the performance, because they mostly performed at royal funerals. Nowadays, we can mostly watch Lakhon Nok performances in the Thai National Theatre.