OK. So that's a picture of a humongous bruise on my left thigh. So before you think I am a victim of abuse, let me clarify that the bruises are a pleasurable result of (now get your heads out of the gutter) pole dance.
Yep. I've been taking pole dance since early last year. Started with me watching news one night and they were talking about men in Beijing really catching on to the whole pole dancing thing and excelling in it cos of the advantage they have with better upper body strength. So no sleazy dimly lit club type of business going on there. Just pure sweat-breaking gymnastic work.
The next day, I read the same piece of news on the papers. And so it begins:
On MSN with my BFF Me: babe, u wanna do pole dance not? BFF: har? dun wan la (pause) r u serious? Me: u know the men in BJ have been taking on that sport... blah blah blah...
To cut the long MSN conversation short, we signed up for the lessons at Groove Dance School that day and started our first lesson that very Sunday. And the rest, as they all say, is HISTORY. That was pole 1 and I am now at Pole 6. Spins, climbs, inverts, tricks... we've been going through the grind and come end April, I will be performing in one of the items for my schools' regular item called Groovy Nights together with other students and instructors.
The bruises you see, is the result of incessant practice at our rehearsal session, not to mention that 2 hours before rehearsal, I had my usual weekly pole class :S
So there.. painful but DEFINITELY pleasurable... sadistic. i know.. but it's not all pain and no gain. To look on the bright side, my arms are more sculpted now (yes, i was one of those unfortunate ones to be 'blessed' with fat arms, thanks to 'great' genes from my mom. still love u mummy!) and my behind looks just a tad perkier than it used to be :)
it's been quite some time since i updated anything on this blog. it's really not so much a case of nothing happening. rather, there's so much going on with so little time.
i used to scorn at people who say that they're too busy. to me, it was always about how you prioritize. and that still holds true. but now, i can empathize.
anyway, i won't be updating anything interesting in this particular blog entry. it's more as an akan datang.
look out for a few things coming up:
Duck n Dive: I'm taking my son to watch that in November and we're involved in a meet and greet session so will talk about that after.
Victor/Victoria: that is pending if Zebra invites me to their media night.
towards the end of the year, we're also looking at many celebratory parties and events so we'll see what happens then.
As mentioned previously, I was looking forward to taking my 4-year-old to SRT's The Little Company play - The Boy Who Cried Wolf.
The program had a tear sheet that folds into a sheep's ear
Some things I expected, some I didn't.
First, let's talk about what I DID expect. My scaredy-cat boy, who is taller and bigger than most kids his age, started to freak out the moment we went to pick up our tickets from the box office. It appears his little mind is already retaining more than I give him credit for. He apparently remembers The Tooth Fairy incident and is shuddering at another 'real-life' experience with the performers.
Anyhow, when I tugged and pulled him into the theatre at DBS Arts Centre, he started doing his Ninja thing where he ducked and ran semi-squat through the rows of seats so that he's camouflaged amongst the chairs, until we finally reached our allocated seats.
When we reached our seats, he proceeded to sit me down urgently in my seat before clambering onto my lap and grabbing my arms to encapsulate him within me. I could hardly breathe as he made sure my arms were tightly wrapped around him. He also quickly removed his beloved Ben 10 watch and made me keep it in my handbag's (which was taking the seat he refused to be on) secret zipped compartment so the "Big Bad Wolf would not take it, Mummy!"
The simple but cute set with the sheeps, castle and Jack's giant beanstalk
We waited in trepidation for the play to begin and my trembling todd surveyed the set and evaluated if he ought to make a dash for the exit.
Enters the Big Bad Wolf played by Filomar C. Tariao who is no where as scarily styled as the witch from The Tooth Fairy. Truth be told, he looked a little comical with his fluffy long tail and stylish boots. But his sheer presence and our proximity to the stage was enough to hold my son ransom to the intangible fear.
Despite the gripping fear, he responded to the Wolf's requests to sing "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf" and to practice screaming at the sight of the wolf. This is with credits to Filomar who engaged the kids in the audience with his song and dance sequence. Filomar who is obviously a trained dancer did jazzy numbers and ballet steps that had both kids and adults entertained and entranced. It also helps that he has good comic timing and wit and was able to poke fun at the adults while ensuring that the kids understood his jokes.
One good example was when Wolf was looking to eat a sheep in the audience and when a kid pointed at his dad, volunteering him as an offering, Wolf proclaimed that the sheep was a little too old, causing the kids to break out in guffaws (OK, so did the adults but we were trying to be more discreet about laughing at the poor guy).
Back to the point of the play. Petey, played by Tim Garner, and his Father, played by Darius Tan sets the storyline of Petey being asked to watch the sheeps while his daddy (a wood-cutter) goes away to work on a project in the castle to earn more money for the family (and with hopes of climbing the "corporate ladder" to become the Royal Wood-Cutter).
As we all know, Petey proceeds to cry wolf (although they did improvise to make it Cry Giant the first time and Cry Dragon the second) which resulted in his dad not believing him the third time when he cried Wolf for real.
I was also expecting appropriate points to make reference of these lying examples to my todd about not telling lies. What I was NOT expecting was a hidden lesson in there for parents too.
Watching the play, I discovered that the moral of the story was not just about telling the kids that lying is a bad thing. It also hinted to parents that there are some underlying triggers that may make kids lie.
Petey lied to his dad to get his attention because dad was "always busy working" and "never kept his promise" to spend time with Petey.
So to parents of kids who cry wolf, before you tell them 'shoo' the next time because "Mummy is busy", remember how many times you have broken that promise (that counts as lying too, no?) and told your kid, "I promise I will take you to a picnic next week. Promise!"
I am a first time parent. And I believe as is the case with most first time parents, much of what I put into my parenting manual is either from advice given by well-intending people or by gut feel. Being the stubborn and opinionated person that I am, it is often the latter.
One of my major challenges recently has been getting my four-year old to NOT LIE. I started by trying to reason. And when that failed to work, I resorted to... lying.. I've thus far told him that if he lied, his teeth would all come off.. I don't think he cares much about his teeth though.. since this tactic doesn't seem to be working. o_O'"
Yes, yes.. I know I'm not setting a good example. But honestly, when you are a FT working mum like me, getting things done efficiently is of optimum importance. That, is not to say that what I am doing is right. But honestly, I am at my wits end.
This is why I am utterly grateful to SRT's timely (well, at least in my opinion and to me, that means EVERYTHING) release of a play about THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF. Most of us would know the moral of the story. So to this play, I am going for sure. I'll probably try to buy a storybook on PINOCCHIO as well in the meantime..
Singapore Repertory Theatre’s The Little Company proudly presents
Written by Jean Tay based on the fairy tale by Aesop Directed by Tracie Pang
Little Petey is bored, bored, bored. It is really not much fun to sit on a little rock, on a little hill, watching a little flock of sheep all day long. So little Petey decides to hatch the perfect plan to have some fun and scare the socks off his fellow villagers. But little does poor Petey know that a very tiny lie can lead to a whole lot of trouble...
The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a wonderful new production from The Little Company. Based on the classic fairy tale by Aesop, you will be delighted by how it is brought to life by an exciting script and a professional cast of adult actors.
This play is a heart-warming illustration of why it’s important to tell the truth, and how one lie can make a world of difference. Dramatised by award-winning playwright Jean Tay who is best known for her plays Everything But The Brain (ST Life! Theatre Awards winner for Best Original Script 2006) and Boom.
Directed by Tracie Pang (ST Life! Theatre Award nominee for Best Director in 2007 and 2008) who has directed numerous productions for The Little Company.
This comic twist to a classic tale brings home a familiar lesson in a fun and accessible way. Recommended for 2 – 6 year-olds
* * *
DATES: 30th July to 12th September 2009 – please see SISTIC for performance schedule PRICES: Mon-Fri $18 – Weekends $20 excluding SISTIC fee (Group discounts/Family Packages available) VENUE: DBS Arts Centre – Home of SRT TICKETING: SISTIC at 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg/www.srt.com.sg
Zebra Crossing Productions is a young but dynamic company, helmed by Artistic Director, Loretta Chen and Executive Producer Felina Khong, who together, strike the quirky balance that makes for a creative and profitable company.
It is this dynamism that is seeing Jazz sensation Laura Fygi breaking from her comfort zone, that being a Jazz performer, to join the ranks of being an artsy, Theatre/Musical artiste. This sultry-voiced dynamite herself set foot onto our sunny shores on April Fools' Day 2009 to grace the press conference for the musical she is starring in November 2009, Victor/Victoria.
Without delving into the musical and spoiling the fun for all you musical fans out there, I shall share the funny story that led to Laura's (oh do indulge me in addressing her on a first name basis..) sparkling appearance on our little dot of a country called Singapore.
As Loretta mused, the idea to feature Victor/Victoria had brewed years ago but it was not easy casting the lead character cos you need "not just anybody who can sing but a professional Singer who has lived the life of a Singer", in order to portray the character in its essence.
Laura Fygi sprang into her mind and of course, with Felina Khong's strict fingers over the purse strings, Loretta knew there was no way in hell she'd be allowed to even attempt casting Laura in this production.
However, Loretta being Loretta (read: unconventional, out-of-this-world crazy, no-box-needed-to-think-out-of style), she thought, What's the worse that can happen if she just sends Laura an email? At most, she'd delete it. End of story. So the story goes that Laura, at that same point of time was deliberating her performing career, thinking, nobody's ever going to cast me in anything else but a witch.. blah blah blah in a play. Talk about cosmic telepathy! And just when Laura's manager was about to reject the role on her behalf, Laura decided, wait a minute, I want to explore all possibilities, no matter how small it might seem.
The next thing you know, the email exchanges between Laura and Loretta progressed to SMSes (all these still done behind Felina's back) and before you knew it, Laura called Loretta one night while Loretta was stark naked (hehe.. what a twist eh? and before your dirty minds plays it up, she was getting dressed to go out for dinner!) to chat and before long, Loretta had to confess the 'relationship' to Felina before they could take it to the next level.
And that is how yours truly is seated in Victoria Bar @ Hotel Intercontinental, wolfing down cakes and tea while trying not to choke over the hilarious anecdotes of 'How Laura Came To Be'.
And may I just say that I am totally mesmerized by Laura Fygi's combination of sultry voice and comic-timing (yes , the Jazz Queen is funny!). I am sooooo looking forward to the production of Victor/Victoria.
Went to catch this play on Saturday at Drama Centre and was seated at Circle 2's front row. Before watching this Oscar Wilde comedy, directed by Glen Goei and starring an all male cast, I was wondering if I might be revolted by the portrayal of the males in their gender-bending depiction.
Don't get me wrong, I am not gay-phobic but most times, males acting as females in theater tends to overplay the 'feminine factor' and the dramatized depiction gets a little uneasy and unnatural.
I was glad to experience none of the unnatural-'ness' as the gender-bending characters played by Ivan Heng (Lady Bracknell), Chua Enlai (Gwendolyn Fairfax), Hossan Leong (Miss Prism) and Gavin Yap (Cecily Cardew) were a natural balance of masculine-femininity. Much like how a normal girl might be in real life. Of course, I'm not referring to a dainty, 'manja' girlish type but a typical new age female.
The actors did not try too hard to up the girlish-ness of feminine factor and in fact interjected masculine outbursts at certain points for comical effect.
The direction given to this play by Glen Goei, from the beautiful classical pieces serenading the crowd by T'ang Quartet, to the laid-back setting of an otherwise 'snooty' era the play is set in, made the play very 'consumable' to non-theater goers (in my opinion anyways).
Particularly commendable are the portrayals by Brendon Fernandez (as Algernon Moncrief), the cheeky young lad who is never serious about anything and lives life beyond his means, as well as, Gavin Yap's portrayal of a ditsy and pretty 18-year-old Cecily Cardew. Together, their young, romantic antics and comic timing brought many laughs to the audience.
Ivan Heng in 'her' royal-highness, did a grand portrayal of diva-ness and Hossan Leong as usual never fails to entertain with his shrilly, old maid style. However, it failed to impress not because they were not great but simply because I expect them to be this good.
Kudos to T'ang Quartet for being so candid in their segments, being part of the lively act between cast and musician. I can definitely bear a late start to the show simply because their music make time irrelevant.
Another point to note is the beautiful costumes designed for this cast by Frederick Lee. I used to model for his bridal shows but seeing his creations in this play makes me wanna be living in the play just to wear his clothes all over again.
You don't have to be an 'artsy' theater-goer. If you are a comedy-buff, fashionista, music lover or simply wants to be entertained, this play is worth being at. And at the price the tickets are going for, Wild Rice is definitely pegging it to current financial situations.
Rating:
Show details: Date: 25 Mar - 11 Apr 2009 Venue: Drama Centre Theatre @ National Library Building Tickets: www.sistic.com.sg
Brendon Fernandez talks about the play and his character:
Following the hugely successful launch of the "Shakespeare in the Park" series with A Midsummer Night's Dream in May 2007, SRT is delighted to present another comedy that will bring audiences from all walks of life to Fort Canning Park in the biggest local theatre event of the year.
In May 2007, over 20,000 people picnicked while 40 actors transformed the park into a magical theatrical experience. This year's Much Ado About Nothing - set in 1930s Singapore - will be even more spectacular, engaging and twice as much fun.
A major coup for Singapore is that the comedy will be directed by London-based Edward Dick, who has directed A Midsummer Night's Dream for the Sydney Theatre Company, Romeo and Juliet for Shakespeare's Globe, and Twelfth Night at Regent's Park in London.
The cast will be lead by MediaCorp Artiste Adrian Pang, who also starred as Hamlet in SRT's production in 1997. Adrian will be joined on stage by Jason Chan and Wendy Kweh (Life! Theatre Award winner for her role in SRT's A Midsummer Night's Dream) and a cast of local and international actors.
Synopsis Beatrice, independent and forthright, and Benedick, a self-confessed 'woman-hater', pass their time constantly goading and scorning each other. When they are thrown together to defend a friend's and family's honour, their true feelings begin to be revealed.
Date:
From 7th May 2009 (Thursday to Sunday)
Time:
7:30pm (Ticket holders are encouraged to picnic from 6.30pm)
Presenting a project by Toy Factory. Directed by Goh Boon Teck, The Crab Flower Club was inspired by poems from A Dream of the Red Chambers.
In the original text, characters in the novel enjoy gathering in a pavilion garden to consume rivercrabs and compose poems of flowers. In this contemporary theatre piece, Goh Boon Teckborrows the sense of vulnerability and decadency in Cao’s context to create a contradictory spacewhere his original characters communicate and confront.
The newly created set of protagonists are five related women in a respectable household in QingDynasty, all ready to embrace each other’s wholesomeness as well as bringing one another downto ashes. During their preparation of a complex crab feast and creating metaphorical poemsabout Chrysanthemums and Begonia, we are enlightened by their multi-faceted world of morality,conspiracy and philosophy.
The pillar of sound for The Crab Flower Club will be Franz Liszt’s Symphonic Poem Les Preludes.This symphonic poem is a pure display of emotion, and subtle on depiction of messages andmeanings. Liszt felt that the language of music could be cross-pollinated by other arts, such aspoetry and painting. This symphonic poem was composed during the era of this play, the fusionbrings sensitivity of the west into an oriental story. The music will be treated with contemporarysound design.
Video Art will also be incorporated in this production. Working closely with ink painter Hong SekChern, her LIVE painting will be projected to create the multiple changes of visuals on stage. Asthe leading female artist in Singapore, her powerful and sensitive visuals will provideextraordinary dimension to the play.
Performance Information Performance Venue: Drama Centre Dates: 03 - 05 June 2009 (Wed – Fri) No. of shows: 3 shows Duration: Approximately 90 mins - no intermission Show time: 8PM Language: English with Chinese subtitles Ticket Prices: $50, $40, $30, $20 Ticket Agent: SISTIC hotline 63485555 or visit www.sistic.com.sg
I truly applaud SRT in their 'workaholism'. Just within the first quarter of 2009, they are presenting 3 shows!
And thanks to SRT, it appears that hunk-a-dory Ethan Hawke will be visiting our sunny shores soon!
Singapore Repertory Theatre proudly presents The Bridge Project – The Winter’s Tale
The Bridge Project is a major new trans-Atlantic venture for director Sam Mendes (Academy Award winner for American Beauty), BrooklynAcademy of Music (BAM) and The Old Vic in London, which is run by Kevin Spacey (Academy Award winner for The Usual Suspects and American Beauty).
Sam Mendes will direct The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare in 2009 starring Simon Russell Beale, Sinead Cusack and Rebecca Hall from the UK; and Richard Easton, Josh Hamilton and Ethan Hawke from the US.
Singapore Repertory Theatre (SRT) is proud to be one of the five co-commissioners of The Bridge Project, which involved investing seed money in the creation of what will arguably be the most prestigious global theatrical event in 2009.
Singapore will be the first – and only Asian stop – on the world-tour in March 2009. SRT will present the Singapore leg in collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay.
Over the past 15 years, SRT has produced high quality theatre in Singapore with a very international edge, benchmarking itself against the best. A testament to its investment in and commitment to quality is a very loyal and rapidly growing audience-base in Singapore. SRT’s strategy of working with the best stage talent from around the world fuels its mission of created a name for itself, and for Singapore, as a leading arts capital. The end-goal is to build a relationship with international producers who will then help tour original Singaporean plays and musicals.
SRT entered a very successful partnership in 2007’s with the Royal Shakespeare Company by presenting their productions of King Lear and The Seagull, directed by Sir Trevor Nunn and starring Sir Ian McKellen which. Singapore’s involvement in The Bridge Project is a direct result of the success of the RSC project.
“It is a major coup for Singapore to be the first stop (and only Asian destination) on this international tour of what is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This will be the most important theatrical event anywhere in the world in 2009. To have Singapore Repertory Theatre listed as one of the co-commissioners on every poster and newspaper ad around the world is incredible,” says Singapore Repertory Theatre’s Artistic Director Gaurav Kripalani.
Commented JP Nathan, Director of Programming, The Esplanade Co Ltd: “We are very pleased to be working in collaboration with SRT again. Last year’s collaboration on the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of King Lear gave SRT valuable exposure in managing productions of such a scale. Working together allows Esplanade to help local companies like SRT shoulder the risks of presenting large productions while deepening their expertise in managing such works to place them more firmly as credible and trustworthy players in the international arts market. Just as we did for the Asian leg of the RSC production, Esplanade will also be lending its technical expertise to the project by overseeing the construction of the sets which will be used for the Singapore and New Zealand productions of The Winter’s Tale. Having the sets built in the region will not only make economic sense but will also help train up local expertise in the area. We look forward to more of such collaborations and knowledge sharing in the future.’
Ticket information DATES: 26th to 31st March 2009 Thursday to Tuesday 8pm/ 3pm matinee Sat, Sun and Tuesday PRICES: From $40 to $325 VENUE: Esplanade Theatre TICKETING: SISTIC at 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg WEBSITE: www.srt.com.sg
Another production by SRT that is set to show in March. A little teaser to decide if you wanna go for it.
DBS Arts Centre – Home of SRT and 3SAGAS proudly present
Defending the Caveman, the longest running solo play in Broadway history, is now a worldwide, rock-solid tour-de-force.This blockbuster has won the hearts of millions in more than 15 different languages.
Defending the Caveman, a hilariously insightful play about the ways men and women relate, is an international hit with productions in 30 countries including the United States, Canada, South Africa, Iceland, Sweden and Germany.
Comedian Rob Becker wrote Defendingthe Caveman over a three-year period during which he made an informal study of anthropology, prehistory, psychology, sociology and mythology.
This prehistoric look at the battle of the sexes played for two years on Broadway and is full of hilarious scenarios that celebrate the differences between the sexes.
Starring Daniel Jenkins (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Pillowman) Directed by Tracie Pang (The Pillowman, Boom)
What the Press said about Defending the Caveman
“An outrageously funny and surprisingly sweet exploration of the gender gap…" - Chicago Sun Times
“Hysterically Funny! Couples who were seen arguing before the show, stroll out into the night holding hands.” - Variety
“A comic phenomenon!” - The New York Times
With hilarious insights on contemporary feminism, masculine sensitivity and the erogenous zone, Defending the Caveman addresses the common themes in relationships that go straight to the funny bone.
Ticketing Information DATES: 11 – 15 March 2009, Wednesday – Sunday 8pm PRICES: $40 - Group discounts available VENUE: DBS Arts Centre – Home of SRT TICKETING: SISTIC at 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg WEBSITE: www.srt.com.sg & www.defendingthecaveman.com
Woohoo, another play by The Little Company I'm looking forward to taking my son to. This will be sometime in March so while waiting, here's a teaser:
Singapore Repertory Theatre’s The Little Company proudly presents
Bear and Chicken Go Camping
A new play about the sun, moon and shooting stars
Written by Katerina Tiapula Directed by Michael Corbidge
SRT’s The Little Company will stage a new production called Bear and Chicken Go Camping in March 2009. Written by Katerina Tiapula, the play is the second part of a highly successful original series that began with When I Grow Up.
Synopsis Best friends Chicken and Bear go on a camping adventure in the Great Outdoors.Throughout the night, they make lots of amazing discoveries about the world such as shooting stars, what happens to the Sun at night and how come crickets can make such loud noises.
Written for children from 2 to 6 years old, Bear and Chicken Go Camping is a delightful and educational tale that stresses the importance of friendship even under difficult circumstances. It features a professional cast of actors who will perform catchy songs and dance routines against a colourful set.
“We have wonderful position in the market as the leading producer of children’s theatre in Singapore. We are proud of this investment in future audiences for the entire industry and are also very focused on creating new original Singaporean works for children with touring potential like the Bear and Chicken series”, says Artistic Director Gaurav Kripalani.
DATES: 5 March to 11 April 2009 – please see SISTIC for performance schedule PRICES: Mon-Fri $22 – Weekends $28 excluding SISTIC fee (Group discounts/Family Packages available) VENUE: DBS Arts Centre – Home of SRT TICKETING:SISTIC at 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg WEBSITE:www.srt.com.sg
Interesting performance that's coming to town. Watch out for it if you're into 'Artsy' performances
About IN MIRA A dance production by Raka Maitra, in collaboration with folk musicians from Rajasthan
Mira was a 15th Century Rajput princess born into the ruling clan in Kudki, near Jodhpur in present-day Rajasthan. During her lifetime she was renowned for her beauty, intelligence, pride, wilfulness and great devotion to her god Shyam, the one she called “the dark one”.
Mira was entered into an arranged marriage at the age 20 but her husband was soon killed in battle. She however rejected widowhood and continued to sing, dance and compose songs and poetry for her beloved Shyam. It is said that she traversed Rajasthan and Gujarat on foot singing the praises of her lord.
Today Mirabai, her life and work is veiled by the mysteries and awe of legend, spirituality and religiosity, which are as obscurantist as they are revealing. Mira’s poetry seems to be most alive in the folk traditions of Rajasthan - in the courtyard, along highways, through markets and temples with a few finger cymbals, a harmonium and a drum. The folk musicians have been passing on the tradition across the generations.
In Mira seeks to express the life and work of this brave, single-minded, remarkable woman contextualised in performance, dance and movement, mediated by folk music, text and history. This is not a religious homage; it is an attempt to celebrate the exceptional, exemplary and intense humanity which Mirabai’s life and work epitomises.
About Raka Maitra Raka Maitra is a classically trained Indian dancer who pushes boundaries to create contemporary Indian dance productions. Specialized in Odissi under Padmashree Madhavi Mudgal and legendary Guru - the late Kelucharan Mahapatra, she also went through an Intensive training in Serraikella Chhau under Guru Sashadhar Acharya, at the Triveni Kala Sangam.
Her current initiatives include exploring the different dimensions of Indian contemporary dance and developing her own dance vocabulary, drawing from training in Odissi and Chhau. She is also the Director of the first Indian contemporary dance festival in Singapore, “The Grey Festival.”
In 2008, Raka embarked on a journey to Rajasthan to visit, learn and understand Mira further. With the assistance of Chan Man Loon, they visited a small village to document the folk singers Mukhtiar and others from the Maan community, who has kept Mira’s poems alive till today.
The result is In Mira.
For this production, Raka will be working in collaboration with the Folk (musicians from Rajasthan), the post modern (Philip Tan) and the abstract, which is her dance. With visuals by Chan Man Loon, lights by Tommy Wong and text by T. Sasitharan, In Mira seeks to push the boundaries further to celebrate Mira in dance.
Dance & Choreography: Raka Maitra Music: Philip Tan Voice over: T.Sasitharan Folk Musicians from Rajasthan: Mana Ram, Jetha Ram, Mane Khan. Visuals: Chan Man Loon. Lights: Tommy Wong.
Date: 16th & 17th January 2009 Time: 8pm Tickets: $28 $22 concession for students, senior citizens and NSF available. Tickets on sale now through SISTIC Website, Hotline & Authorised Agents (www.sistic.com.sg).
www.inmira.wordpress.com
This production is supported by NAC, Arts Fund and The Substation.
A quick intro of the characters for those who have yet to watch:
Cynthia Lee MacQuarrie: Pippa, the seemingly bimbo, sexpot receptionist who in my opinion is a lot smarter than her fellow colleagues give her credit for.
Michael Corbridge: Bob the slob, whom I have absolutely no idea what he does in the ad agency. I can only guess that he is perhaps the Art Director? to complete the make up of an ad agency.
Susan Tordoff: Patty (the accountant?) The stuffy divorcee with two kids who has a constant tension with Bob leading to a sexual brush - literally, at one point.
Wendy Kweh: Jo the beautiful, smart and womanly Accounts servicing person who came down from KL and is the object of fantasy for all males in the agency.
Jason Chan: Andy the mopey and serious Copywriter who is attracted (sexually or soulfully?) to Jo.
James Shubert: Gavin, Managing Director of Chapman & Howard who is both friend and foe to his team.
Shane Mardjuki: Lee the rookie graphics guy who has the hots for Pippa.
With enough friends in the advertising agency, I can only say that this play is as real as it gets in its depiction of the characters (and might I dare to disclose, some of the activities) that resides in some ad firms.
There's not much plot to it really but the entire play is about the uncovering of the issues that each character plays have.
Stereotyped casting appeared in the form of Cynthia Lee MacQuarrie, playing the ah girl style, bimbo, ah lian. This is not to say that she did not do a great job with it but I cannot for the life of me imagine her playing Jo or Patty for example.
Jason Chan's portrayal of Andy was captivating with a lot of inward emotions (something difficult to achieve in a theater setting, in my personal opinion) that were successfully projected to the audience (or at least those seated close enough to the stage)
Another wow actor was James Shubert who, without missing a beat or getting out of scene and character, responded to interaction with the audience and got the floor hooting with laughter at one point.
Hilarious lines with great comic timing (and the audience OBVIOUSLY loved the photocopied butts), the act was engaging in a way that the audience were participating like they were part of the cast at several points. My only grouse is that there was way too many lengthy rants from the characters and that got me yawning intermittently - or maybe it's just my antihistamine taking effect.. What puzzled me throughout the play is also why there is such a strong American and British accent in the various characters who supposedly helmed from Singapore and Malaysia.. hmmm..
I applaud each actor for the depth of show in the characters they play. However, i think this play would have pulled off better should the platform be television because much of the details in the actors' expressions were probably lost on those who were seated further away from the stage. Plus, I am extremely curious about the mentioned but never seen wives of Andy and Bob. TV directing next, Tracie?
Took my son to watch the play by SRT's junior arm - The Little Company. True to it's target audience, at least half the turnout were kids.
The play had a boring conversational beginning with the kids, Ruth and Raoul played by Stephen Whiley & Julie Wee bantering like typical kid siblings would.
The funny and at times witty lines were lost on the younger kids in the audience.
Enters Dr. MacCavity played by Judee Tan, came the gripping lighting and sound effects. The setting together with the very realistically uglifying make up of Dr. MacCavity had my son totally sucked in and within moments he panicked, trembled in fear and wanted to get out of the theatre!
No amount of hugging and soothing could convince him to stay in the act and soon i had to take him out so as not to disrupt the enjoyment of the other audience.
As we were leaving the theatre, he spat out the candy i had given him just moments ago to pacify him because Dr. MacCavity said she would take the rotten teeth of kids who ate candy. My son was COMPLETELY freaked out!
One usher was very kind and came up to me when i was at the foyer soothing my son. She told me I could go back in whenever he was ready to and take a seat further in the back so he would not be at such close proximity to the 'evil' MacCavity.
We finally went back in when MacCavity left the stage and enjoyed the following scenes where Ruth, Raoul and the tooth fairy got acquainted and ensued to leave for Fairyland.
The graceful while animated Fairy, played by Tiffany Wrightson, who obviously is a trained ballerina enchanted the kids. Erstwhile, Ruth and Raoul engaged the audience with interactive sessions where we had to help them with certain tasks by either clapping, shouting or following instructions.
The sequence of hip hop, rap style performance also got many tiny hands and feet clapping and stamping.
Despite having to leave the theatre on several occasions that Dr. MacCavity made her appearace, my son enjoyed the play and even agreed later on that MacCavity was no longer scary (she smiled at the ending cast intro).
As a mom of an overly engaged and sensitive toddler, I also appreciated the initiative of the ushers who were helpful in trying to pacify my frightened son and even pre-empted me about MacCavity's appearance at the audience floor so that I was able to avoid further traumatizing my frightened child.
The best part of this play? My boy is now highly cooperative about keeping his teeth clean so that Dr. MacCavity would not be able to visit him for his rotten tooth :)
At the advertising company Chapman and Howard, the staff have taken great pains to prepare for their traditional Christmas bash, and to ensure that they avoid any scandals similar to last year's which resulted in a visit from the police and the Managing Director's divorce! But when the drinks flow and the good times roll, the party lurches from one disaster to another.
Picture "The Office" meets "Love Actually" and you know you will be in for a rollercoaster ride of laughter, love and tears in this comedy which leads seven diverse characters - Bob the office buaya, Pippa the sarong party secretary, Lee the goodie two-shoes and a host of other crazy characters, through the minefield of office politics, petty differences, sexual harassment and hidden desires. And that's just another day at work!
Directed by Tracie Pang. Starring Wendy Kweh and Cynthia Lee Macquarrie.
Ticketing Details DATES: 27 November – 13 December 2009 TIMING: 8pm (Monday - Saturday), 4pm (Saturdays) PRICES: $58, $48 (Friday – Saturday, 8pm), $50, $40 (Monday – Thursday, 8pm & Saturday, 4pm) VENUE: DBS Arts Centre - Home of SRT TICKETING: SISTIC at 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg
OK. So that's a picture of a humongous bruise on my left thigh. So before you think I am a victim of abuse, let me clarify that the bruises are a pleasurable result of (now get your heads out of the gutter) pole dance.
