Closer to Simon Van Booy

I couldn’t remember much of the screen adaptation of  ”Closer” which featured Natalie Portman, Julia Roberts, Jude Law and Clive Owen. Neither could I recall when I watched it. Maybe it was on Channel 5. (Singapore’s English TV channel) Or maybe, I didn’t really watch it.

It doesn’t matter.  I will watch it again. The Pangdemonium’s production of “Closer” was able to satisfy my desire for some emotional upheaval…well, to a certain extent. I could rave on and on about the script. Patrick Marber has that gift of hitting all the right notes that would resonate with your own experiences;  with your love life or lack thereof. The lines, crude as they might be at some points, are raw with emotions and truth.

I think many members of the audience stepped  into the theatre with preconceived notions of how the play should turn out to be since they would have been inundated with fond memories of the climatic (pun intended) scenes and how “very, very sad” the film is.

Contrary to the general sentiment in the theatre, I thought there shouldn’t be any comparison. They are just… different. I went home and immediately I watched some clips of the screen adaptation. The way film works – you could play with subtleties in your acting that would be captured on film and be fully presented to the audience. Closer was meant to be a play. I like exactly how the lines were punctuated with force on stage.

Alice: It’s a lie. It’s a bunch of sad strangers photographed beautifully, and… all the glittering assholes who appreciate art say it’s beautiful ’cause that’s what they wanna see. But the people in the photos are sad, and alone… But the pictures make the world seem beautiful, so… the exhibition is reassuring which makes it a lie, and everyone loves a big fat lie.

That said, I am not enraptured by the cast’s performance. It is commendable; to say the least. Adrian Pang didn’t disappoint… but the strange thing about him is that at certain points, he portrays that “Adrian swagger” which is found in almost every other role he plays. I remember quite clearly, in one scene, I thought he was the lawyer in “The Pupil”, I swear! It makes me wonder whether he is pushing enough to distinguish his roles or whether there is even a need to… Ah and I was beginning to lose attention after the intermission. The scene at the strip club was not tastefully done. I was so excited when I saw how the director has set up the dual realities with Larry and  Anna in one, Alice and Dan in the other. However, I was disappointed how it played out in the end. There was not enough dramatic tension to sustain such a set-up; either that or the staging did not help to enhance the tension. Really disappointed! I was also half-hoping that they would break the wall. ok, but they are too professional to have made that fatal mistake.

Nothing beats the thrill of being able to soak in the intimacy of live performances. I can’t wait to be on the stage again. (;

On the topic of moody love, I bought a book called, “Love Begins in Winter” by Simon Van Booy at the Borders sale in Expo. He is this elusive writer whose books I spotted at the famous Parisian bookstore. They were over-priced though, so I thought I would whet my appetite by just flipping the pages of the book precariously and by remembering whichever quotes I could catch in that few minutes. When I was in Edinburgh, I found out that the author grew up in the Welsh countryside and would be coming to the Festival in Edinburgh in August.  I conjured about a dozen reasons that could allow me to stay in Europe till August. I want to meet him and this other English writer, David Nicholls!

I have not finished reading the book but I have read two stories  he wrote on his personal life — “Raising a Princess Single-Handedly” and “Love and Loss at Christmas”.

Grief is a room without doors – but somehow, with its tinsel and clichés, Christmas finds a way in. In the absence of a loved one, all the pageantry, all the carols and parties and bright bustling pubs, are an unbearable silence. For many, the season of goodwill and joy is also the season of loneliness and despair, during which nothing grows except the longing for what can never be.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/28/fashion/28love.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/dec/19/christmas-love-loss-simon-van-booy

I can’t comment much about the book yet, but Simon Van Booy… he does look good. (;

London: it never rests. (Continued)

So about two months ago, I wrote an entry about London. I’m in Starbucks and I heard this teenage boy speaking British-accented English and I know it is a sign.

d) Step into this LUXE world and snoop around for a glimpse of celebrity

Greengirl and I wanted to split our ways and visit a stadium and Queen Victoria and Albert museum respectively. Short of time, we decided to head to Harrods together.  We explored Harrods storey and storey and were in awe by  this luxury departmental store which has everything from bathroom essentials, furniture to children’s wear. They all carry a hefty price tag each including the simplest thing that you could probably get half the price. There were also more tourists than real shoppers, I noticed.

This was also where I felt that my London experience was very much complete.

We met… John Terry, i.e. the EX-captain of the English football team. The irony of our chance encounter was that on our way to Harrods, Greengirl was bitching about the Chelsea football team, its ineffectualness and lack of charm.

I took this picture. ):

e) Conquer the London markets (Portobello, Borough, Spitalfields, Camden & Brick Lane)

It didn’t help that Jo is an avid shopper. When I was putting up in her room, she showed me all her loot from the markets, Primark, ebay and ASOS. How can one resist all these temptations?

The ever enthusiastic Jo marked out all the markets on my map and even suggested to me how I could go about conquering all of them as I peered at the “yuniek & momo” guides, reading aloud the specialties of those places.

Camden was the least interesting, in my opinion or the right words for it, should be least rewarding or most pocket-friendly. There are hardly anything you could buy there except for food. Tip of the day given by Jo: Walk quickly through the Bugis-Street (a place in Singapore that stocks cheap, trendy and sometimes run-of-the-mill clothes) looking streets and head straight for the Stables Market. It has a commendable selection of vintage stalls but I personally find the things there slightly pricier.

For my favourite market, it is a tough fight between Portobello and Brick Lane.

Portobello is just so quintessentially British or so I think. We didn’t need a map or ask people for directions. We simply had to follow the crowd who led us through the what seemed like thousands of stalls and shops. I bought a nautical-striped bag from the market. THAT’S ALL. Can you believe it?

George Orwell lived here. (Portobello)

Portobello Market -- this is where it all begins

The Hummingbird Bakery @ Portobello

Pop by The Hummingbird Bakery to get a whiff and a bite of the scrumptious and cute cupcakes! We were too preoccupied unfortunately to remember to take a picture of the red velvet cupcake.

Brick Lane, quoting momoJ, is …

a fab place to people-watch and snap candid shots for you will spot young things that embody the epitome of british fashion, agyness deyne and alexa chung lookalikes/wannabes. not to forget, very pretty boys with side-swept wavy hair and tailored ankle pants. also old old book collections, an indoors market with feathered headpieces and handmade cards among many other things.

When I was in London in July, I wanted to go to Brick Lane again to shop at my own relaxed paced but by then, I could only bear to have one main thing on my itinerary per day and sadly, I missed out on a second trip to Brick Lane.

f) The two Roast that you must try –the Roast Duck & the Sunday Roast

So many people had raved to me about the famous Roast Duck rice in London way before I visited London. Apparently there are two restaurants at Bayswater that are well-known for their roast ducks. They are Golden Mile Restaurant and Four Seasons Restaurants. I’ve tried Golden Mile Restaurant’s. It was decently good. I don’t remember it as better than those that I’ve tried in Singapore. Still, if it is highly recommended, I think it is worth a try!

Sunday Roast

The Sunday roast is a traditional British main meal served on Sundays (usually in the earlyafternoon for lunch), consisting of roasted meat, roast potato together with accompaniments, such as Yorkshire pudding, stuffing, vegetables and gravy. - Wikipedia

In a bid to try traditional British fare, we went for Sunday Roast in a pub, feeling quite satisfied that we have finally sampled some local food!

g) The world’s a stage

Nothing beats the sensation of standing for two hours or so to watch a Shakespeare play at the Globe Theatre. This was on the top of my to-do list. However, as it was not theatre season the first time I visited London in March, I had no choice but to admire the Globe Theatre from the outside and leave the rest to my imagination. Fortunately, I was back in London again in summer and I watched Henry VIII. The cast was terrific. Such intensity! The tension between each and every actor and actress was so well-cultivated. Each of them wielded their “weapons” (their lines) and launched into such exquisite “swordsplay” (the dialogue/the interaction) that made made me feel like jumping on stage to act with them! I adore the actress who played Anne Boleyn. She is very promising.

Henry VIII and his queen

Even though I was in London once in Spring and another time in Summer, I still didn’t manage to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum.  It is such a shame but that gives me reason to visit London again. I mean, even if I have visited V&A museum, I’ll always want to visit London again and again, with or without reason.

Here are some of pictures of my discoveries during summer which also documented my frustration at finding out that Nick Jonas acted as Marius for three weeks! Preposterous! Norm Lewis, also a guest start, however, blew me away with his rendition of Stars. So achingly beautiful.

Snog at the Carnaby Street (;

Look out for Nick Jonas

Seeing & being at Canary Wharf sent shivers down my spine

Chinatown

Just right outside Covent Garden which is also a must-go

My second trip was less hectic. I really took my own sweet time. And yes, I did what I preach, I found another friend who was working in London who was kind enough to put me up. I was really lucky to have a spacious room for myself for three days to recharge myself. LN is really lovely. I had a lot of fun with her and her other Vietnamese friends. Because she was very busy with work, I was mainly on my own except for one night when I met up with Sherms and F to watch the football match — Netherlands versus I can’t remember the other team.

I remember on my last night, I had to leave her place in the wee hours.  I was a little fearful of what may lurk around in the neighbourhood. I looked straight ahead, dragged my pink suitcase along and walked very, very quickly.

When I boarded the 24-hour bus,  I heaved a sigh of relief. This is after all London, and this time round, I mean it in the positive sense. There were already a handful of passengers on the bus and as the bus cruised from Bow Road to Gloucester Place/Baker Street, more and more people streamed in with their suitcases. It was probably 4 or 5 am then.

Just about the same time right now in Singapore.

Oh, I miss London.

***

P.S. This was actually continued and completed not on the Starbucks day but after I read my friends’ posts about their exchange experience — friends who just left for exchange a few days ago. My exchange buddy also has a fabulous blog that he updates very often about his life here in Singapore. All these have made me feel a little horrible for not writing on the go. So I persevered and finished writing about London. It wasn’t daunting at all. I was so carried away.

“artists use lies to tell the truth. politicians use lies to mask the truth.”

animal farm (:

This isn’t the kind of play/story that will naturally appeal to me. I used to think that my first “official” drama role will be a sad, mad woman. There are a lot of undercurrents in Animal Farm.  Gradually, I realise, there is an “Animal Farm” probably in almost every organisation or context. So if you’re interested, please buy tickets  from me. (WAYYYY CHEAPER too)  I have TWENTY tickets to sell!

Highly recommended. It’s a meaningful play to catch! Read the synopsis below. (;

CONSIDERED one of the best novels in the 20th Century, Animal Farm has enthralled generations of readers with its tale of political intrigue and allusions to the Stalinist era before World War II. Nonetheless, what gives Animal Farm its longevity is the cautionary tale against tyranny that resonates with us even until today.

Adopting the acclaimed novel into a theatre production with a sharp Singaporean satirical edge is Stageit, Singapore Management University’s (SMU) only student-led drama and theatre arts group. Established in 2002, Stageit has been involved in annual productions in various theatrical forms, such as Kuo Pao Kun’s Lao Jiu – 9th Born, Li Lien Fung’s The Sword Has Two Edges as well as musicals like Ho Min Fong’s Sing To The Dawn.

Based on the faithful theatre adaptation of the George Orwell novel by Ian Wooldridge, Stageit’s Animal Farm promises to be a multi-layered political play that will leave us thinking.

Synopsis of the play:

Manor Farm, one of the top notch farms in the land, is run by a Man named Jones. Lead by the Pigs – Snowball, Napoleon and Squealer – the Animals throw Jones off the farm, rename it Animal Farm and take over its running on their terms. Their independence is affirmed when, under the heroic leadership of Snowball, they quell Jones’ attempt at reacquiring Animal Farm by force. Not able to see eye to eye, Napoleon ousts Snowball to claim the seat of rule of Animal Farm for itself and its cronies, including its child Minimus.

Meanwhile, the Lower Animals – Boxer, the horse; Clover, its workmate; and Benjamin, the donkey – have to be content with working the farm daily; deprived of milk and enticed only by the occasional slice of red apple; their faith in a better future coaxed by the spiritual prophecies of Moses, the raven.

What does the future hold in store for the Lower Animals – the less privileged, less educated, and less well-born? What is the light of hope for them when absolute power absolutely corrupts?