When you hear the word ‘theatre’, you might think of the bright lights along New York City’s Broadway, or London’s historic West End. You might not instantly think of Thailand, but this country has a rich history of performance.
Classically, Khon productions delighted audiences with masked dances, while modern-day theatre groups keep Thailand’s stages illuminated with shows based upon local and international stories.
One of those theatre groups is Bangkok Community Theatre, whose performances over the past few years have included the ABBA musical ‘Mamma Mia’, and a production of the Oscar Wilde classic, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’ this summer.
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To round off their 2026 schedule, Bangkok Community Theatre is treating the city to a production of Nell Benjamin’s ‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’. The show is based on the 2001 film of the same name with Reese Witherspoon, but with added singing, dancing and even more comedy.
Set to be their biggest undertaking yet, we caught up with the producers Kate Prior and Anna Khendry, the director, Adam Kaokept and Jessica Zaugg, who plays the show’s protagonist, ‘Elle’, to hear more.
Interview with Bangkok Community Theatre
Hi, everyone! Can you tell us about Bangkok Community Theatre?
Anna: Sure! In the late ’50s and early ’60s, there were two theatre groups in Bangkok: ACT, the Amateur Community Theatre, which was mainly American, and the Bangkok Dramatic Society, which was mainly British.
In 1972, they merged and became one, and that’s how Bangkok Community Theatre came about. Our theatre company is fifty-four years old!
Kate: And we’ve been serving the community of Bangkok for all that time, by putting on two/three productions a year, running workshops, social events, and giving a safe, fun, inclusive space to anybody who wants to get involved with English-language theatre in Bangkok.
It’s now the largest and longest-running English-language community theatre group in Thailand, with members of all ages and all backgrounds, from Thailand and all over the world. It’s a really special place.
It sounds really special. What are the workshops and events that you just mentioned?
Kate: So we’ve been running ‘Open Mic at the Musicals’, which gives people a chance to sing songs from musicals, whether they have never sung before or they love singing.
We’ve also got ‘One Day Choir’, which is a huge community singing event that we have started running this year, and we’ve got an amazing new project called ‘BCT Devise, Rush Hour’. It’s a project of five sessions, over a seven-week period for all levels of experience.
The aim is to get people involved in something fun and low-stakes by creating a piece of theatre with the help of experienced BCT directors, writers and actors. The whole project culminates in a little performance to friends, family, and BCT members.
Let’s talk about your upcoming musical production, Legally Blonde. Jessica, you’re the leading lady, Elle Woods. Can you tell us a bit about your story? Have you always loved performing?
Jessica: Yeah! I’m originally from Canada, where I grew up singing in church and in talent shows. I did my first vocal competition when I was eight, where I sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Then I studied Musical Theatre at university: two years in Canada, then I transferred and did four years at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
After that, I just felt really inspired to move to Thailand and teach music. So now I teach music to grades one, two and three.
Thailand is a big change from the United States and Canada! Why did you pick Bangkok?
Jessica: So, I was living in America as a student, and I remember right before my senior year, I was praying, ‘Okay, God, how can I stay in the United States?’
My mom, who is an international principal, said, ‘You know, they need music teachers abroad,’ and I was like, ‘Mom, I’m a performer! I want to go and live my dreams as an actress!’
But I prayed about it, and I decided, why not apply for that [teaching] job, you know? I sent an email to a school in Thailand, and I was like, ‘I don’t have a teaching degree, but I am so fun, and you’re gonna want me at your school because I will work and I will learn!’
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Within a week, I had a job offer.
How did you feel about that?
Jessica: It scared me a lot. The lyrics that kept rolling around in my brain were, ‘Close my eyes. And leap,’ [from ‘Defying Gravity’, Wicked]. But that’s so scary, to close your eyes and leap. So I asked if I could have a week to think about it, and [the school] said, ‘Of course!’
At the time, I was touring Brazil and California that year with the BYU Young Ambassadors [Brigham Young University’s performance group]. We end every Young Ambassadors show by singing this song called ‘I’m a Child of God’: ‘I am a child of God, rich blessings are in store if I but learn to do His will.’
As I sang, it was like I was smacked atop the head by an incredible feeling: I had to accept that job. I had to go to Thailand. I’d never felt so certain about something. So that night, in a random hotel room, in February 2025, I emailed the school, ‘Okay, I’ll be brave! I accept the job offer!’
What about you, Anna, Kate and Adam? Did you feel a similar certainty when you decided on ‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’ for this year’s musical?
Anna: Well, I first saw Legally Blonde in 2007 when I was in New York, and I fell in love with the show. As soon as I came back, I said, ‘I want to do this show,’ but the rights weren’t available then.
Adam: It’s funny, ’cause when Anna first brought it up, I didn’t know anything about the show at all. I’d never seen it. I only know the film, but I took some time and watched the [2007 MTV recording of the live musical on Broadway]. I fell in love with it instantly because it’s just so much fun.
Kate: I love this show, but we had huge success at the end of 2025 with Mamma Mia, which BCT staged for 1,600 people. So, when one project ends, we immediately think, ‘what can we do next year that’s really different?’ and Legally Blonde has some of the same themes as Mamma Mia – celebrating women, celebrating friendship, being true to who you are, as well as having so much fun with a big all-singing-all-dancing musical, but that’s what the world needs right now.
So it seems like there has been a mix of emotions for all of you, coming into this.
Jessica: Yes, it’s not been without challenges: I knew nobody when I moved here, and during my first semester and a half, I got nodes on my voice, which is like, the worst thing you can wish upon me, ever! I lost the ability to sing – my superpower was taken away!
Luckily, it’s slowly coming back, and I’ve been really grateful for Legally Blonde, because it helped me to stretch those muscles again and build myself back up.
Growing pains like this happen, but I get to have these growing pains in a place where I can buy a mango smoothie any time I want, in a place where I can travel and experience Thailand, and I’ve learned that I can create a community wherever I am.
You can plop me into a world that I have no concept of, and I’ll make it. I’ll make friends. I’ll figure it out. It’s not without bumps, but I will figure it out.
And is that positive energy something audience members can expect when they sit down in the auditorium?
Anna: Yes, there’s happiness and joy and a lot of amazing dancing and singing. The costumes are gonna be fabulous, and the set’s gonna be amazing.
Kate: And while Bangkok Community Theatre is a community theatre group, we have got a really fantastic reputation, and what we put on that stage is of a very, very high quality. The cast is absolutely exceptional. The production team is brilliant. This show is gonna be really, really magnificent, and we offer an excellent ticket price. People would be fools to miss this night out at the theatre!
Adam: Yeah, this show is a big, joyful light that can make everyone feel a little brighter and lighter. We need more joy, fun, and acceptance in the world, so I hope that everyone steps out of the theatre able to own who they are. And I would love to see everyone after the show come out, dressed to the nines, not afraid to be who they are, you know?
Kate: Exactly, not afraid to go for their dreams, because that’s one of the messages of the show: there are no limits.
And, being a community theatre, is there anything you’re doing to weave Thai culture into the production?
Adam: Absolutely. I think this is one of the big things I’m so excited about. We’re using Thai subtitles for the production, which is incredible. Thirty per cent of the cast are Thai, and I’ve been working on a ‘Pretty In Pink’ campaign for some of the costumes.
There are ten costumes that Elle wears throughout the show, so we’re reaching out to local designers from Bangkok, whether they’re established designers, emerging artists or at fashion school, to submit designs.
We already have some good submissions for sure, but anybody who is interested in getting their work seen in front of a live audience can still submit until October 1st.
So that’s one way to get involved in theatre. Jessica, what would you say to anyone who is looking at you and thinking ‘I want to be on that stage’?
Jessica: I’d say, ‘Do it!’
Find a community of people that inspire you to keep going, who tell you that you can do it, then put yourself out there and do it. You’ve gotta work your butt off, and you’ve gotta take criticism, though. You have to be willing to be shot down and told, ‘No, you’re not doing it right. Here’s how you do it right.’
And as cheesy as it sounds, you just have to be yourself because your life needs you somewhere. Somewhere random. My life took me to Thailand. My life needed me here. And I like to think that the people here needed me, and I needed them, you know? So, you have to work hard and go get what you want.
So, with that in mind, if people are inspired and want to get involved with Bangkok Community Theatre, what do they need to do?
Kate: BCT is always open and looking for new members! People can get involved at any time. Just come to any of the events: an open mic night, a social, an audition, or even come to the Christmas party! If you want to meet like-minded theatre lovers in Bangkok, this is the place to be. So please join us. We’d love to see you there.
But do you have to be a professional?
Kate: Good question! Everybody has their own unique story in theatre, so you can be a complete beginner, trying a bit of acting for the first time, or you can have done theatre your whole life, like me. It’s been in my blood since I was a little girl, which is why I’m so involved behind the scenes. It’s so important to keep this community thriving in Bangkok.
This leads us to the question the team are most excited to answer: when, where and how can people come and see ‘Legally Blonde: The Musical’?
Kate: So, we’re staging Legally Blonde at Bangkok Prep School’s auditorium at Sukhumvit, Soi 77. It’s four shows over one weekend in November: one on the night of Friday 20th November, two on Saturday 21st November, and one on Sunday 22nd November.
Tickets are already on sale on Ticketmelon. Go on there and search for Legally Blonde, or follow Bangkok Community Theatre on Instagram or Facebook, and you’ll see the links there on how to get tickets as well.
Thank you so much!
Learn more
For readers who are now eager to learn more about Bangkok Community Theatre, or even get involved, follow their Instagram here, their Facebook here, or visit the website:
The story Inside Bangkok Community Theatre and its biggest musical yet as seen on Thaiger News.
