OUR HISTORY
Along the way there have been a multitude of individuals, communities, ideas and experiences which have nourished and influenced the journey to become what LKO is today. The history outlined here is a non-exhaustive work-in-progress.
PERFORMING HISTORY WITH THÉÂTRE DU SOLEIL
Lakhon Komnit's story began with the 2007-2013 Théâtre du Soleil-led project to realise a Khmer language staging of Hélène Cixous’ epic history play, The Terrible but Unfinished Story of Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia.
Through this epic project, LKO’s future co-founders learnt the history of Cambodia and recognised the urgent challenge of developing Cambodian theatre. The Théâtre du Soleil worked in collaboration with Battambang-based multi disciplinary arts centre Phare Ponleu Selpak Association, where two of LKO’s future co-founders were students and performers. Ashley Thompson, who had seen the Théâtre du Soleil's French language production of the play in Paris in 1985 and subsequently become a renowned scholar of Cambodian artistic and cultural history, provided textual and historical direction for the project. As members of the Soleil troupe, CHHIT Chanphireak, known as "Hou", played Prince Sisowath Sirik Matak and Étienne Manac'h, and NOV Sreyleab played Khieu Samnol.
Inspired by studying the play and project as a postgraduate student of Ashley Thompson in the UK, in 2013 Bonny Coombe moved to Cambodia to volunteer at Phare where the rehearsals were taking place. Hou and Bonny met while working in the theatre department at Phare.
SEEKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR CAMBODIAN THEATRE
The Sihanouk troupe returned to Cambodia from the 2013 tour to Portugal and France, full of enthusiasm to continue the work of building a future for Cambodian theatre. On returning they faced a lack of opportunities, being told often that theatre in Khmer language wasn't a viable option. Bonny, who had intended to return to the UK to start her PhD on Cambodian theatre with Ashley Thompson, decided to stay in Cambodia and support the artists to build a sustainable platform for their work.
From 2015-2016, some future members of LKO worked with Australian theatre director Kate Coward, having met and worked together originally in the theatre department at Phare. Kate founded and led Theatre for Development Cambodia, providing training and opportunities for underemployed theatre artists to use Forum Theatre and run workshops in communities and NGOs in Battambang and Samlot.
CREATING OPPORTUNITIES WITH BATTAMBANG THEATRE
In 2017, Hou and Sreyleab formed "Battambang Theatre," an informal theatre group registered with the local Sangkat. Along with fellow Soleil troupe members Sok Doeurn and Horn Sophea, Battambang Theatre ran two community engagement projects addressing domestic violence, with funding from Voice via Oxfam in Cambodia from 2017-2019 and with fiscal sponsorship from Phare and Cambodian Children's Trust. The group decided to use Forum Theatre. Bonny supported them behind the scenes, sharing expertise drawn from working with world-leading Joker Terry O’Leary and Boal's Translator Adrian Jackson at Cardboard Citizens in London. Working with women facing violence in Battambang, the group produced and toured plays dealing with violence, poverty and drug addiction. Hou found a firm footing as a Forum Theatre Joker.
WRITING HISTORY
OKNHA CHAKTORONG YOUS
In 2018, Hou was awarded a Dam Dos Grant from Cambodian Living Arts, to support him to research and develop a new Cambodian history play about Oknha Chaktorong Yous, a Cambodian General who led a military movement against French colonial powers in 1884-1888.
A small fund given by Phare Performing Social Enterprise, at the discretion of then-CEO Huot Dara, funded the first round of rehearsals to further develop the script. Hou led these rehearsals with a cast of theatre artists in Battambang who were former members of the Soleil troupe. Rehearsal space was contributed by Phare Ponleu Selpak.
FOUNDING LAKHON KOMNIT ORGANIZATION
Hou and Bonny advocated widely for the group's work, attracting start-up funding from a philanthropic donor in late 2018. Lakhon Komnit Organization was formally registered as an NGO in October 2019, co-founded by its four original staff members:
Hou CHHIT Chanphireak
NOV Sreyleab
Bonny COOMBE
POY Chhunlin.
Chhunlin left LKO to focus on other opportunities in 2020. In 2023, Sreyleab left LKO and founded a new theatre group in Siem Reap.
HUOT Dara, SOVAN Neary and Boren CHHITH Phearath were members of LKO’s Board of Directors from 2019-2024.
Professor Ashley THOMPSON has been a member of LKO’s Board since the beginning in 2019, and was joined by TUM Vira, VUTH Lyno, Toni SHAPIRO-PHIM and CHIN Borey in 2024.
RESOURCES
The archive section of this website is under construction. More information about the partnerships with individuals, community groups and organisations which have contributed to LKO’s development since 2019 will be available there soon.
An extensive archive of material, research and writing about the Théâtre du Soleil’s stagings of Hélène Cixous’ The Terrible but Unfinished Story of Norodom Sihanouk, King of Cambodia from 1985-2013 is available here: https://sihanouk-archives-inachevees.org/