The Four Reigns “See Pan Din” is a historical novel that was published in 1953 written by Kukrit Pramoj, of Thai nobility, who was also the thirteenth prime minister of Thailand. It recounts the life of a young woman, Ploy, sent to live in the royal court in from 1868 to 1946 thus spanning the reign of four monarchs from Rama V to Rama VIII. The novel was adapted as a stage musical in 2011 in honor of beloved King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 7th Cycle 84th Birthday.

The story takes place during a delicate time when Southeast Asia was, like many regions, under threat of European encroachment - and through careful negotiations and territorial secessions by monarchs of the time, Siam was not politically colonized by a Western power. The kingdom, instead, underwent a period of infrastructural modernization that brought trains, highways, telegrams, and telephones to its citizens alongside social reforms such as the abolition of slavery.

As a result, when much turmoil swept the globe since the late 1800s, this period of Thai history is often paired with a love, gratitude, and devotion for king and country that mirrors what musical’s narrator Ploy experiences in her decades working and living in the royal court – a life that is not without its own struggles and hardships, but a spirit that overcomes them because she is inspired her monarchs and their dedication to the land, to the people, and to the kingdom.

This presentation of The Four Reigns covers the first half of the original novel, spanning the reigns of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) and King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) from 1868 to 1925.

Tickets $50 pp includes dinner and show at Pinole Valley High School Performing Arts Center