“Awk Khaek” (Thai: ออกแขก; RTGS: Ok Khaek) is the performance before “Likay” begins where the performer would come out with an Indian-Malaysian costume to sing and dance to a song [6][7]. “Awk Khaek” came from India with the Malayan Peninsula group that came to Siam during the Ayutthaya period (1259-1767 AD.) [8][9]. But this performance has changed with time. There is disagreement where the name comes from but L. Allan Eubank say that the word “Awk” means "out" and the word “Khaek” is the Thai word for Indian [9]. The importance of “AwkKhaek” is to tell everyone to know that the “Likay” will start soon.
In general, after an hour long prelude with piphat music, the plot and dialogue follow a basic outline given by the troupe’s storyteller unfolding through the actors’ improvised verses, song lyrics and action. This impromptu performance is supported by musicians who capture and highlight the spontaneous development with their instruments, often including both modern pop music and traditional country music. Dances appear only rarely when an actor or actress feels like the situation calls for it. [1] [2] [4] Originally the troupes’ actors were all men but nowadays men and women play together. [1] It appears that there is a strong bond between audience and performers, so that it is very common for the story to unfold in a way that pleases the audiences or that the audience are addressed directly. This is especially true for the joker, who is allowed to switch between the performance and the audience, adding a sense of open interaction. The audience is also drawn into the play by the need for their imagination. As Likay troupes are itinerant and have no fixed venue, the makeshift stage and repertoire mostly does not offer more than a bench (tiang) which allows the actors to play most scenes, and the rough setting of a palace garden and a forest. The audience have to listen carefully to the explanation of space and time by the actors or storyteller and picture the scenery themselves