Reflections of a Woman's Heart

I’ve always enjoyed romantic comedies starring Andy Lau and Sammi Cheng, so needless to say, I liked “龙凤斗”.

Whether it’s due to their past collaborations lending them great onscreen chemistry or the latter contributing to their continued success as HK movie’s favourite pairings, these two leads continue to dazzle with their charisma and impeccable comic timing.

“龙凤斗” – loosely translated as “Dragon and Phoenix Battle” (although titled "Yesterday Once More" in English) starts off with a bored Sammi agreeing to marry Steve, the son of a wealthy woman. On the condition he gives her the family jewels – a priceless necklace worth a king’s ransom.

It is apparent Sammi is only interested in the jewels, and her shrewd mother-in-law-to- be, Mrs Steve refuses to relinquish the rights of the jewels to her.

Under the terms of a contract Sammi is made to sign, she will only be allowed to use the jewels, which will be placed under her care till she turns 60, after which the jewels will be hers. If she divorces Steve, Sammi forfeits all rights to the necklace, and gets nothing in return.

Sammi agrees, since she has no intentions of honouring the contract – she intends to steal the jewels the moment Steve transfers them out from the safe deposit box of the bank.

Alas, her efforts are thwarted by her ex-husband, Andy, who is also a professional thief. In fact, the both of them have a habit of stealing whatever catches their fancy, and met during a counselling session at a psychiatrist’s office in their teens!

They fell in love and got married, although 2 years ago, Andy unexpectedly divorced her without telling her why.

With an illustrious partnership of successful theft attempts, it is clear they are a match made for the other, and still have mutual feelings, even though they are divorced.

What unfolds is a cat and mouse game between the two protagonists, as they engage in a delightful battle of wits against each other in order to keep the jewels.

Andy has the upper hand since he’s beaten his ex-wife to the necklace, but he enjoys baiting her and watching her sly attempts at challenging him.

It is also clear Sammi comes alive with happiness whenever she succeeds in outwitting Andy.

The light-hearted verbal cha cha between the couple are a joy to watch, so the ending was quite unexpected.

Throughout the show, we are never quite sure the reason why Andy divorced Sammi, as it is clear he still loves her. He later reveals that he left her 2 years ago because of a terminal illness, as he wanted to leave her with the best memories of their time together.

Even then, we are not quite sure if he is joking, since they’ve played far too many pranks on one another.

In order to prevent Sammi from marrying another man (for the jewels), Andy had stolen the necklace, as he knew she would then come after him for them.

As his end draws near, he cuts a deal with Mrs Steve to have Steve propose to Sammi with another set of priceless jewellery. He knows that Sammi will love the challenge of stealing it, and will be kept happily entertained (thus, happy) in the process (thinking that it is another competition between the two of them).

In the meanwhile, Andy is dying and even while he breathes his last, he makes arrangements for one last heist so Sammi can ‘enjoy’ herself, while thinking he too is competing with her for the jewels.

He dies without telling her and she is oblivious to what has occurred.

There is a poignant moment in the show where the wealthy Mrs Steve comments that Sammi, being the smart woman that she is, will surely guess what has happened (that Andy is the one masterminding these thefts for her entertainment/distraction) – to which Andy says as a matter of fact,

“There is still a slight difference between suspecting something and having that suspicion confirmed.”

They are his last words, as he leaves behind Sammi, his ex-wife and the woman he’s always loved.

In the last scene, she is seen driving away happily after her latest success at snatching yet another priceless jewel – not at all suspecting that the love of her life has quietly slipped away.

Due to the light-hearted pace set earlier in the movie, the ending left me gasping and a little shocked.

To say that it was unexpected is an understatement.

We all talk about “true love”, and the sacrifices one endures for it. We also hear about how one party suffers to make the other happy, at times, never letting the other know what one had to undergo for the sake of seeing their loved one smile and be happy.

I can understand Andy’s motivations in the show – here is a man with limited time, and he knows his loved one is happiest when she feels challenged and filled with the glee of winning. So, he tries his best to stage those opportunities for her.

But on the other hand, it is clear that Sammi loves him and he is more important to her than the priceless jewels that set her heart pacing.

Yes, it is touching that he left her clueless about his plans and intentions (he leaves her with all his fortune), so she is kept happily in the dark.

But she will probably find out eventually… so, wouldn’t heartbreak be inevitable?

Wouldn’t one want to spend their last moments with the person they love most?

And to learn the truth that you weren’t even given the chance to spend that time together is painful and cruel.

One can argue that when death is inevitable, heartbreak is certain.

And so, wouldn’t it be better to prolong happiness (as Andy Lau did for Sammi Cheng)?

She may never discover his whereabouts and the reasons for his disappearance from the world, but without a doubt, she’ll always remember him as her one and only true love.

And while she can only suspect that he may be terminally ill, she doesn’t have the proof to get it confirmed.

The existence of doubts cannot represent an irrefutable truth – so, perhaps with some traces of doubt, one can still lay claim to hope, and ultimately, some form of happiness?

Despite logically working out the reasoning behind Andy’s motives, I cannot say I agree with them.

My heart tells me that should I ever be placed in a similar position (thank heavens I don’t live in movieland!) I would wish to share my ups and downs with my loved one, including either of our last moments.

Even if the memories are painful, it would attest to us having shared a life and love together.

It is sometimes and painful when one party in the relationship insists on making sacrifices, without the willingness to accept similar sacrifices from their loved one.

Some can deem it sweet that one loves enough to only want the other party to always be the happy one, so they do not want the other person to undergo any pain or sacrifices.

But surely, to love means to give AND to receive. Without the ability to receive, this person may not realise that one sided loving can be a very lonely affair.

I don't really want to write a detailed synopsis - rather, these are my thoughts after watching the 3 hour movie today :

King Kong, is essentially about a tale of potential bestiality. An ape falls in love with a human. The fact that they once shared the same DNA strain notwithstanding, you'll be treated to emotional scenes where monkey and screen goddess make sheep eyes at one another. That's true lurrrrrrve, baby.

I'll have to say, it was an excellent film. You get your money's worth - at least 3 movies worth. You get King Kong, Aliens 5, Jurassic Park 4, Dracula (return of the human bat) and creepy crawlies of all sorts from every horror genre - stuff guaranteed to make your skin crawl. You'll never shudder and complain about bug infestation in your living room again! Unless you feed them too much stale pizza leftovers; left amidst piles of junk, stashed under your sofa. After which, don't blame them if they mutate into something bigger than your face.

Still, while I was very impressed with the CGI (so real you could almost smell the sweat on the hairy ape), there are basic scenes where you'll have to suspend disbelief. More than usual, that is.

Naomi Watts gets tossed about in the jungle, scrapes through shrubs and debris, wrestles with T-rexes, and yet through it all... she comes out looking flawless. Nary a scratch on her face, arms or body.

She doesn't even manage to look dirty. Gawdamit!

Adrien Brody (bless his dreamy eyes) gets shot at by Jamie Bell (of Billy Elliot fame) - who goes through an entire magazine-round of ammunition (all the while keeping his eyes tightly closed). Superman Adrien escapes with his life in tact - the bullets having neither grazed nor lodged within his delectably slim frame. How the hell did he dodge?!!

Jack Black - the man with the mad roving eyes doesn't do very much except act the twat who thinks being expressive means staring intently into the camera. At least he doesn't say (too many) dastardly things in this movie. Not more than usual, anyway.

I try hard to think of why Peter Jackson (PJ) included so many creatures in King Kong. Wasn't it supposed to be just about the big monkey? At the end of the day, the only answer I could come up with was - because he could. It sorta worked, coz most of the creatures looked so real - from the dinosaurs, to the big fat ugly bugs... Some of the scenes looked so real, I was squirming in my seat, yelping "eeek" every few seconds. I shuddered involuntarily. But despite all that... I kept my eyes glued to the screen at all times - attesting to the true genius of PJ.

I'll probably rush out and get the DVD when it is out - I would definitely be keen to watch The Making Of.... King Kong. Perhaps, PJ might explain why the lead actors don't ever die a horrible death on screen, and the secret of their everlasting physical beauty.

Tis often been said that Shakespeare is a genius. And you'll find no argument from me there - I've enjoy most of the staged Shakespearean performances I've watched in London, thus far.

2 years ago, I watched Twelfth Night at Shakespeare's Globe - my first attendence of a performance there. It was an all male cast, and they were so good, they had me in stitches with their witty antics. I didn't even mind having to stand in front of the stage for 3 hours. In fact, I thought it was an excellent way to experience a true Shakespearean production. The peasants in yonder days would have paid to stand near the stage - and indeed, some claim those are the best err.. 'seats' in the house.

You get an unobstructed view of all the going-ons in the play, after all. Certainly, what more can one ask for, having paid only a fiver to view an entire 3 hour production?

My experience had been so positive for that production, I was actually reluctant to view the same play again, at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.

But I had loved Cymbelline (there's something truly magical about watching a play outdoors), and wanted to relive the splendour of watching another Shakespearean play under the stars.

So I booked Twelfth Night.

All my misgivings about re-watching a familiar play melted, the moment the actors came on stage. It's as if someone waved a magic wand over the production, and atmosphere was alive with the freshness of a new mystery. I cannot recommend the play enough!

With an entirely different (mixed) cast, the staging and the direction were vastly different from anything I've seen before. It was colourful, it was lively, it was witty, it was pure fun.

And to my delight and suprise, it was the same cast from Cymbelline (majority of the players) - hats off to such talented players, that they can do 2-3 Shakespearean plays in the same season. Cymbelline is still running (the shows sometimes run alternate nights), so I am absolutely amazed all the actors memorized their scripts so flawlessly (and believe me, Shakespeare isn't easy to quote - if you have to memorize an entire play!), they were well into character.

What can I say... Twelfth Night was an absolute delight! They even added music to the Fool's speeches and what melancholic songs he sang! The same actor plays the Villian in Cymbelline, and he's excellent in the character of the Fool as well.

The sets were impressive, and it created such a credible world of Illyria that one can easily imagine how the characters live and interact in that town.

I've never seen Lady Olivia played with such gusto... why, she almost seemed like a passionate shrew. And yet, it wasn't out of line with her given dialogue - it was merely a brilliant interpretation of her role (and oh, such a fun one at that!)... and I must say, it was really refreshing to see the 'virtuous' Olivia played with such fiery oomph (especially when one is used to seeing her shy and timid.. and basically, a milk sop).

I was absolutely swept away with awe at the fantastic production, and without fail.. I'll definitely be back for more next year, if I'm still in London.

The play left me feeling so alive, I walked back home from Regent's Park. This time round, it took me only 30 minutes to get home. Brisk walking certainly grows on one.

I missed Jamie Cullum's concert in Summer last year, coz tickets were sold out way in advance. I didn't intend to make the same mistake again this year, so I actually bought tickets as early as April - the moment I knew he had a show on in Audley End, Essex.

Since it was going to be an open air event, it would be a perfect opportunity to pack a picnic basket, and spend an enjoyable afternoon-evening with some friends, soaking up the essence of Jamie's performance.

I had even picked out which couple I was going to invite to the event - Peter and Camelia (see Greek Wedding). It would have been a wonderful post wedding gift for them, and I knew they enjoyed jazz as well.

So, boldly, I went ahead and bought 4 tickets, thinking... if they couldn't go, I could always invite someone else, or sell the tickets on Ebay for a hefty profit.

With so many activities and events going on in July (Teck Hing's London visit, Paris, London bombings, Greek wedding etc), it was 2 weeks before the concert that Kenny informed me Peter and Camelia would be away on their honeymoon during the concert dates.

Damn! I had to act fast... either sell the tickets, or get some friends to go. And truth be told, I was more keen to spend an enjoyable evening with friends; lying on my picnic mat under the stars; surrounded by yummy food, listening to Jamie Cullum (also known as the piano and the voice).

As luck would have it... everyone I asked was either going away, or busy that weekend. ARRGH. And as time drew nearer and nearer to the event date, it was clear selling the tickets were out of the question - it was too late.

Usually, adverts on Ebay take about 5 days to generate a good response... and it seems this year's concert date must have coincided with everyone else's plan. Jamie, you picked a lousy time....!

In the end, rather than ask any Tom, Dick or Henry to the event... I decided I would just proceed with Kenny. Alright, so we'll pay twice as much as everyone else for our tickets (coz we're using 2 tickets for the price of 4) - but I hoped the concert would be so good that Jamie would be worth it. ;)

We booked a car for the event, and drove up to Essex. Got lost on the way, detoured a couple of times... and finally made it to the concert venue nearly 30 minutes late (through sunshine, rain, clouds, more rain).

Whew. Thank goodness Jamie wasn't on yet. There was some band playing covers of familiar songs, but they were very good. The female lead singer gave a classy act, but alas, I didn't catch her name. Still, if she ever makes it big.. I'm sure she'll have quite a following, judging by the response of the crowd.

We laid our mat by the edge of the crowd, and it wasn't far from the stage... we thought we'd get good views.

Dinner consisted of Nando's mild & lemon chicken thighs, potato salad, chickpea salad with peppers, country sausages (you get loads of free samples at the concert venue! So we helped ourselves...) and dessert was the most divine profiteroles ever - compliments of Sainsbury's (no kidding, they do heavenly profiteroles... so much so that I don't bother ordering them at Italian restaurants anymore, coz none of them beat the ones I've tried from Sainsbury's).

When the star of evening finally turned up, he filled the whole concert venue with so much energy (I think there was a crowd of at least 5000 people), people from further afield left their blankets and swamped to the front edge of the stage - directly where Kenny and I had made ourselves comfortable.

So, for the rest of the evening... I ended up looking at the back view of towering crazy fans. Even when I stood up on my mat, I couldn't see Jamie on stage, coz everyone else was so much taller!

Kenny commented that he at least he had an eyeful of female bums (moving rhythmically to the music) from where he sat. Even the old flabby ones.

Yes, Jamie Cullum knows how to pack in a crowd, and from teenagers to old coffin crofters - his music appeals to everyone who enjoys a lively and playful rendition jazz. His piano improvisation is beyond reproach - I had my doubts whether he'd be as good on stage, as in his cds, but he completely stunned the audience with his energy and charisma.

My only complaint (other than the hovering fans above where Kenny and I sat) was that the concert was too short. It lasted about an hour, maybe slightly more. And that was it.

Jamie Cullum got on stage at 8.30pm... and the concert was over by 9.45pm. He probably did about 10 songs or so... but each of his songs were delivered flawlessly. He was charming, he made this adoring fans laugh.

Jamie Cullum's music makes me smile. There's just something about it... that puts one in a pleasant mood.

When the crowd clamoured for more, he came back for one short encore, where he sang 1 or 2 other songs, and then... the night was over.

And we were treated to a 20 minute Fireworks extravaganza. It was spectacular, to say the least! The organizers certainly spared no expense when it came to wowing the crowd with fancy explosives... and what a wonderful way to end the evening.

We left the concert venue and headed towards London, only to encounter road diversions - which meant we got lost again, but this time round... we weren't in a rush, so we just ended up crusing in strange neighbourhoods before finally hitting somewhere familiar (i.e. close to central London).

In the end, it was 1.30am when we got to Edware Road, and we decided to stop off at Beirut Express to grab their mouth-watering shish kebab (takeaway).

I got home about 2.30am..and it was nearly 3.45am before I got to bed, after pigging out on my late night 'snack'.

Synopsis (from Web):

The Far Pavilions from the glittering Palace of Winds to the deserts of Rajasthan. From the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, to an outpost of the British Raj. This new musical based on the novel by MM Kaye's awe-inspiring tale of lost identity, divided loyalty and forbidden love promises to take you on the ultimate theatrical journey.

Unaware of his British origins, Ashok, a serving boy living and working in the Palace of Winds, befriends Princess Anjuli, the Maharajah's daughter. The recent loss of her mother and the treachery and intrigue of her father's court leads to a pact of eternal friendship, sealed be breaking a medallion in two. Ashok will wear one half and Anjuli the other always. Meeting in secret, they dream of a simple life beyond the farthest mountain, where the divisions between them no longer exist.

The Story charts the journey of Ashok as he is separated from Anjuli, educated in England, and then returns to India to serve the British Raj as Lieutenant Ashton Pelham Martyn.

Ash's attempt at a new life with the Governor's daughter, Belinda, ends in public humiliation as a love rival, Captain Harkness, reveals details of Ash's upbringing at a society ball. Ash is tarnished with a reputation of a misfit. His very loyalty comes into question as he is recalled from active duty and sent to Rajasthan as an escort to a Princess, promised in marriage to a neighboring King.

One stolen night in a desert cave sets off a chain of events that neither Ashok nor Anjuli could have imagined in their wildest dreams...

Review

Last night, I went to watch the musical, The Far Pavilions.

It is by far the BEST musical I've watched in a long long while - right up there with Phantom Of The Opera, and Les Miserables. But of course, I still insist that The Lion King reigns supreme as best musical in London.

When I saw the promotional posters at the tube station some weeks back, I already made a mental note that I was going to book tickets for this show. But I had planned to go in June, since it only opened at the West End this month, and I thought it would be best to give the actors time to 'warm up'.

But I managed to get hold of 2 complimentary tickets tonight, so it was a good opportunity to watch the new musical free of charge.

I didn't know quite what to expect... I knew it had to do with India, and that it was a love story (I borrowed the library book when I was 13.. but never had the patience to finish all 1000 pages of it, so I only browsed through the love story portion of it.. :P). Other than that, I was clueless.

I love stories with India as its central theme, but the last 'Indian-like' musical I went to (Bombay Dreams) was so crappy that Josephine and I were totally disgusted to have forked out £40 per ticket. The actors couldn't act, the songs were lousy and the vocals were pathetically weak. I don't know how that got made into a musical, especially with such a weak plot and sad vocals. Then again, I'm biased... coz I'm so used to watching Bollywood movies (and loving most of them), so I wasn't impressed with the weak plot in Bombay Dreams.

The theatre reviews for The Far Pavillion haven't trickled in yet, but I did read a newspaper article mentioning bright, colourful sets. Still, I don't go to musicals just for the props... one almost always expects good vocals when attending a musical. Not to mention an exciting storyline, sound system and lighting, and of coz... impressive props would be a great bonus. ;)

Which is why The Far Pavillions totally blew me away with its spectacular cast and splendid music scores. Just the music alone was a refreshing touch - a mix of Indian drums creating bollywood style music, and yet not totally Indian. I cannot do justice by describing the music - it was fabulous. Enough for me to want to get a CD, but alas, the musical is so new they hadn't produced one yet.

The actors had great voices, and I'll say this is one of the rare treats where you get an excellent cast who can act, dance and sing. And I'm not refering to just the leads - the supporting cast had suprisingly good, strong lungs and the songs resonated with convincing emotion. The angst was very real... At times, it reminded me of one of my favourite musicals (especially the duets) - Miss Saigon, which I absolutely adored for its beautiful music and Lea Solonga's expressive vocals.

The bright coloured costumes with its gold threads blended perfectly with the background props of palace grandeur. Les Brotherston’s set design was gloriously vibrant and varied. The action moves from freezing Himalayan caves (I thought the outdoor backdrop was brilliantly done, with its twinkling stars and the many different phases of the moon) to the opulent luxury of Indian palaces where jewel-encrusted fans and rich materials abound.

I was especially facinated with the heroine - from where I sat, she looked like the dead-ringer for my favourite Bollywood actress, Kajol. It was ironic too that she played Princess Anjuli - the name of Kajol's character in my favourite Hindi movie, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (to date, I have watched this movie 14 times... my most watched film ever).

The character of Princess Anjuli is played by Gayatri Iyer, who is a Bollywood singer. I guess that explains her flawless vocals, which convincingly swayed the audience to whichever emotion she was conveying.

Hailing from a theatre background, I was definitely impressed with the engaging script, awesome musical scores and need I stress again - the wonderful actors with excellent voices. It is not often that all 3 factors are present in a musical, and often... the theatre experience is seldom perfect.

I wouldn't dare go as far to say that this was in anyway a perfect musical - but it definitely comes close. I like it very much.

So much, I've just booked 2 tickets for Sunday matinee, coz I want to bring a friend.

I hope The Far Pavillions gets to run in the West End for many years to come. It definitely deserves the chance to become a top-selling performance. This show is the reason why I love the theatre (and why I keep going back, despite having to put up with disappointing shows from time to time) - the opportunity to discover a real gem. I'm so glad I didn't let it pass me by.

Tonight I went to watch Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. It's my 2nd time, and I hadn't been very impressed the first time round.

In fact, I remember I walked away feeling quite disgusted with the performance, because the lead singer (some guy from Steps.. H, I think) couldn't sing, and it spoilt the entire production for me. I mean, you go to a musical, naturally, you expect the lead singers to be nothing short of above average, if not excellent.

But my last trip to New London Theatre was probably a year ago (maybe more), and the cast and crew have changed several times since. Even Jason Donovan joined the cast some months back, so I reckon the quality may have improved.

Although I've been given several chances to get complimentary tickets for this musical, I've not bothered, as I didn't want to go back. The last time I went, it had possibly been the WORST musical I'd ever been to - and sucker that I was, I paid £35 for it. Needless to say, I still bear a grudge.

Anyhow, I haven't been to the theatre in a while, and I didn't have anything to do this evening. So I decided to give this musical a 2nd chance. At least this time, I was going for FREE.

I am hopeful that it will be better - look, it can't possibly still be running 2 years later if it remains that lousy. And I do believe it's near impossible to get any worse than my last trip.

Kwok and I met up for a quick dinner at Belgo Central (I love the beers! It's the only time I ever drink beer). I had the mussles in bisque, he had steak... and we washed it down with beer. I ordered my usual Strawberry Beer (it's delicious, I tell ya!).. and Kwok tried the Mango Beer. Didn't have time for desserts as we had to make it for the theatre by 7.30pm.

We got to the theatre at Drury Lane just on time, and made it to the seats in the darkened auditorium. The theatre wasn't even full, although I know for a fact at least 40 complimentary tickets had been given away that night. I always feel a bit sorry for the production cast and crew if the theatre isn't full - it can be demoralizing, and this in turn could affect their performance. I know, coz I used to play on stage, but thank goodness, we never had to perform to anything less than full house.

I sat back and relaxed, thinking to myself if I was bored, I could always close my eyes and snooze. Thankfully, I was never given that chance.

From the onset... the blond god playing Joseph *swoon* was very good. His voice carried all the songs powerfully, and with emotion. I can only go...WOW. I'd like to rave... oh heck, I SHALL rave!

The lead actor was this guy with blond locks (ash blond, I think) who had a baby face, and an amazing voice. Smooth. I mean, his complexion (we were sitting in Row F, so I could see his face quite clearly). Smooth. I mean his chest (I can't stand hairy guys). Smooth. I mean his vocals (the perfect voice to serenade me anytime).

Sometimes, the actors in a musical can't really act, but we forgive them if they have powerful lungs. The guy playing Joseph can act. And boy can he sing!

With yummy looks to boot, I was almost sorry to see the musical come to an end.

I don't normally fancy white men. But I think for this chap, I could make an exception. :P

The overall performance for this musical has improved a lot - with a better cast all round. There was more energy and chemistry between the actors, and I found myself mentally humming to the music. The catchy tunes sung with gusto made the whole theatre come alive. The guy playing the pharoah (Simon Bailey) was very good too... quite the sexy Elvis. Too bad he has chest hair. :P

I was reluctant to see the charming musical come to an end, but the finale consisted of a medley of repeat songs we had heard earlier on, and after another 2-3 rounds of the same pieces, I guess it really was time to call it a night.

Kwok and I parted ways at Covent Garden station, and I continued towards Picardilly Circus, by cutting through Leicester Square.

Along the way, I called Kenny and told him about the performance. It was inevitable that I told him about the gorgeous lead singer, and his terrific voice.

I didn't know who he was, but I intended to find out.

"Oh, I think he's Stephen Gately from Boyzone", Kenny said.

"And he's gay," he added unhelpfully.

"FUCK! He's GAY?!!" I shrieked.

The four-letter obscenity slipped out of my mouth before my brain had time to censor it. Damn.

"It's not fair!" I hissed, thoroughly disappointed. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I cursed mentally.

Sigh. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Most good-looking men are either taken or gay. Why should 'Stephen Gately' be any different? Plus he can sing. I've always had a weakness for men who sing well. Sigh.

I don't even know why I was so disappointed. After all, it's not as if there was any possibility of knowing this Stephen guy in real life. It's just that... it's always a bit of a blow to find that yet another very eligible bachelor has decided to bat for the other team. Have women really lost much of their appeal? :P

Oh well, I finally made my way home and while writing this blog, decided to check up (just to be absolutely sure) who that blond angel was.

It wasn't easy, since there've been quite a few actors playing Joseph since the musical made its debut at Drury Lane in March 2003. Finally, I managed to find a website that updated its information.

Simon Gorton. His name is Simon Gorton.

I don't want to know if he's gay or straight. If I don't know, then I won't have to curse the heavens. A girl is entitled to her day dreams after all. And besides, as Joseph sings, "any dream will do"....

Singapore time: 3am

Just got back from watching my 1st movie in a long while, and in Singapore too.

When Linden asked me if I wanted to catch a movie tonight, I was rather half-hearted about it at first – I’m totally zonked out still, and don’t really wish to start my social life on the first day of my return home.

Besides, I had to run some errands in the evening (e.g. get a pre-paid sim card, change currency, buy a support pillow etc etc). And I have a stiff neck from sleeping on a pillow too soft!

Needless to say, I was feeling quite lethargic, and was really looking forward to sleeping in a bit more.

But when he mentioned “Hitch”, I was immediately more enthusiastic. After all, I had seen the movie trailer, and was really keen on catching the show. Plus, Derek had highly recommended it a while back… but he did say it would have been a good ‘date’ movie. Hmm, since I’m not dating, I guess going with Linden would be the next best alternative, and safer too!

On Hitch:

I LIKE “Hitch”. It had me laughing aloud quite a couple of times, and I seriously liked the characters in the show. Will Smith played The Love Doctor really well. It wasn’t one of his normal goof ball roles, and I enjoyed watching him play a more sensitive character.

One of my girlfriends expressed in her blog that she didn’t like men who plotted and planned in order to get what they desired (like in “Hitch”), and she said she preferred for things to happen ‘spontaneously’.

The truth is – how often does one get to experience something ‘spontaneous’ in life? While I agree that falling in love should be ‘spontaneous and fervent’, unfortunately, most of the times, people don’t act on their emotions. And many magical moments are thus lost before emotions can even be expressed.

Sure it’s nice to meet someone and fall in love the straight forward way. But I have this to say – if a guy actually doesn’t mind taking the time and effort to plan something, then I really do not mind if he goes out of his way to create opportunities for us to meet.

I’m not talking about bastards who plot and scheme to get into bed with a woman and then ditch her, like that pig in Hitch. I’m referring to men and women who are too shy to openly express their feelings out loud, and thus, may need more time and opportunities before they eventually express their feelings for each other.

I thought “Hitch” the movie was absolutely sweet.

Unfortunately, in real life, I doubt most men would even bother to go through such lengths to meet or get to know a woman. Indeed, how many times in our lives have we felt so strongly about anyone that we would do anything and everything in order to be near them? (There's also that thing about being mistaken for a psycho stalker!)

As we grow older, people appear to be more willing to let go of opportunities, because we either do not feel as deeply, or we tell ourselves… it doesn’t matter.

Most of the time, we are just too scared to go after what we want anyway. And so, life and love become a waiting game where we may end up sitting out on all the dances.

I would like to dream on that some day I will meet someone who thought I mattered enough. Enough to engineer something so that I could be swept off my feet and fall into the right arms.

I just hope that when that time comes, I won't be too scared to fall - believing that love exists for other people is not the same as thinking it can happen to yourself. Coz secretly wanting to believe in something is one thing, being a love cynic is another.

Went for a play tonite, called 'The Small Things'. It's an interesting theatre on Southwark street.... I seldom cross the Thames, so it's 'refreshing' to watch a play outside of the West End.

Incidentally, the theatre is in a building called 'The Chocolate Factory' - seems that in the past, it used to be just that. Now, in its place, there's a popular restaurant (looks interesting, might try it out some time) and the playhouse. The whole setting is so very advant garde.

I can't say I really enjoyed the play, though. I was bored after the first 5 mins. And usually...if a production fails to capture my imagination after 15 mins, it's more or less a goner. Plus, this production went on for a full 90mins, with NO INTERVAL in between!

Needless to say, I was quite tempted to walk out...I wasn't even aware what the 2 characters on stage were muttering about anymore. Something about 'merringues reminding him of his mother's breasts', and 'a six year old boy stuffing his face into his mother's bra cups, then getting slapped for it'..... talk about breast fixation! No, just in case you were wondering, the play wasn't about anything sexual. It was just that I got so bored I was nearly asleep and these were the only sentences that made it past my sleep sated senses! :P

My friend, Galen, enjoyed it more than I did, even though I doubt he was wildly enthusiasic about the production. But at least, he stayed awake throughout, and didn't attempt to leave. And since I was the one who'd invited him to watch the play, I was obliged to sit back and close my eyes, while listening to the dialogue.

The sets were minimalistic, and the two characters appeared to be truly earnest about their performance. Unfortunately, their rendition didn't spark my interest. The rest of the audience seemed to appreciate some of the humour, and chuckled appreciatively during some moments. I really did try to appreciate what was going on. I kept my ears open, even though my eyes were closed 75% of the time. But the actors just droned on and on and on till I....

*YAWN*

90 mins later, we walked out and decided to call it a night. We were both too tired to go anywhere else, although it was only 9.15pm. I was quite happy to go home, coz I've just started on a new Anime series, called "The Scrapped Princess", and it's been highly entertaining, even if I've had to watch it in Chinese subtitles!!!

My ride on the tube back was uneventful, till the stop before my station. Then, for some strange reason... I started thinking about Singapore, and my friends back home. And before I knew it, I had passed my stop!!

And so, begins my next adventure..... see next blog.

2 months ago, my friend, Alvyn recommended that we watch a play, His Dark Materials. At that point in time...I was a little skeptical whether it'd be any good. I've not read the books... I didn't know what it was about, and I wasn't particularly interested, having read the synopsis off the web. I only knew it was stuff about children, fantasy, demons, witches... some merging of the worlds..blah. It sounded all a bit confusing to me.

But I agreed to go watch it... and finally after 2 months, today's the day.

Getting to the National Theatre at Southbank was a nightmare. The directions pointed out Waterloo as the 'nearerst' tube station. DAMMIT! The walk (or rather jog!) took me nearly 15-20mins - it was really quite some distance away! And I had to first get from the tube station, to the train station...and finally run like hell to the theatre coz I was late already. STOMP STOMP STOMP....huff...puff...huff puff more.

Thank goodness I made it on time. Or I would have missed the magic of the MOST WONDERFUL production I've ever watched on stage.

Believe me when I say I'm not easily impressed when I go to the theatre. I often appreciate the effort put into a play, sometimes...I admire the props, or the costumes, or the lighting effects. I am even in awe of some actors whose acting skills are so incredible, you get sucked into a different world where fantasy and reality merge. But I seldom think 'this is so good I want to watch it again!'.

And His Dark Materials really swept me off my feet. The sets were incredible - I've never seen anything quite like it. The hydraulics, the turning stage, the different props... buildings.... it was just magical.

Now, I've seen a lot of theatre productions in my time, having majored in Theatre Studies at degree level. I like going to the theatre (it's good entertainment), albeit not a cheap hobby. But His Dark Materials was worth every penny and more. In fact, I wouldn't mind sitting through the whole 3 HOUR play again, if only to be swept back into the splendour of the whole production, but unfortunately, tickets for Part 1 were sold out ages ago.

That's right - Part 1. A whole 3 HOUR production, and that's just half the story! I'll definitely be going for Part 2, and soon!!!

Okay, here's the 'synopsis' for His Dark Materials (Part 1). I copied it from the theatre website, and I gotta say it doesn't say very much. Gotta watch it to truly appreciate the production. I'll provide another link where you an download a small word document with a better and more detailed synopsis at the end of this blog:

His Dark Materials takes us on a thrilling journey through worlds familiar and unknown. For Lyra and Will, its two central characters, it’s a coming of age and a transforming spiritual experience. Their great quest demands a savage struggle against the most dangerous of enemies. They encounter fantastical creatures in parallel worlds - rebellious angels, soul-eating spectres, child-catching Gobblers and the armoured bears and witch-clans of the Arctic. Finally, before reaching, perhaps, the republic of heaven, they must visit the land of the dead.

His Dark Materials is an epic production both in its narrative scope and its staging, involving artists from new technologies as well as old. It is one of the National's most ambitious projects, and aims to create an experience as meaningful for 12 year olds as for adults. This riveting story unfolds over the course of two plays.

***

On my way out of the theatre, I grabbed hold of a brochure about the play, and noticed that Micheal Curry, the same person who did The Lion King, designed the puppets for the show. No wonder they were so well-made and life like. It was simply amazing...each of the 'demons'/puppets was visually stunning, and had a character of its own.

To check out pictures of the production, click this photolink. For a more detailed synopsis on His Dark Materials, click HERE.