Reliable info: Khon/ puppetry/ traditional theatre schedules in BKK?

[rosalinda]

Hi all:

I'll be in Bangkok this weekend (roughly Thu. 28/4 to Mon. 1/5) and, because I am a giant nerd for traditional theatre forms of all sorts, I am very interested on seeing whether I can find and fit in a khon or puppetry or dance performance (or more than one if possible!) The difficulty is that while there is plenty of _general_ info in English about BKK venues, I'm not finding any information at all about specifics -- whether a given place is currently open, what days and times it's currently running, how I can plan ahead, etc. And I've come to learn that that matters!

See, the last time I was in BKK, in January, I was disappointed because I wasn't able to find any shows to attend -- though I tried! E.g.: I'd read online about the Sala Chalermkrung khon performances, but found when I arrived that it was closed for the month -- a detail not mentioned on the English websites I'd read.

So I went in person to the Wat Pho-area office of the TAT to ask about cultural shows. They seemed very surprised and confused by my questions, and eventually told me told me there was nothing on that weekend, except the AKSRA commercial puppet show, for which they could only give me a telephone number.

Then I found, when I made my sweaty way on foot to the National Theatre, that actually, there was a puppet show in progress that very day. If only the TAT people had _had a copy of the National Theatre schedule to look at_. Or if I had gone to the National Theatre first... o.O O.o

On the amusing-anecdote end of all this, when I got back to my hostel, I asked if they could help me phone the number for the puppet show that the TAT people had given me ("AKSRA" Theatre at the King Power complex). But very little English was spoken all around, and after a confused couple minutes I realized they'd helpfully dialed me up the "Alcazar" ladyboy show in Pattaya, instead. XD

So! With that experience behind me, I thought I'd ask before this weekend's trip:

Any chance that any helpful locals can help me figure out what's on this weekend -- and/or where to look for the information, so I can plan ahead? Or even just know a better place/ person/ info stop to ask when I get to Bangkok? If not, I'm afraid this time will wind up like the last one -- with lots of me running sweat-soaked from place to place, all across the city, only to find out it's closed/ canceled/ not running that day/ sold out to a busload of tourists/ went bankrupt four months ago, but never bothered to update the English website. (The latter of which seems surprisingly common... I've run up against it in two countries now... ^.^ )

Thanks in advance for any help!