A ticket for one please

I just got back from seeing an incredible play called Midsummer and I went alone. 

The first time I ventured out alone in one of my cultural excursions (as my pretentious alter-ego would call it) it was at an art gallery. Then I started going to movies by myself, then to plays, writer's festivals, reading alone at coffee shops and so on. I have to admit at first it was kind of weird but then I just got used to it and now I actually prefer going to these things by myself. 

I like not having to worry about scheduling and then having that constant worry during the thing whether or not the other person is enjoying themselves. Plus, I get to choose when to go, where to sit and what to watch. Sometimes my friends (or mum) would insist on seeing the Katherine Heigl romcom when all I want to watch is the three hour french film. I'm not a very convincing person either (after a couple of minutes you'll get used to the subtitles you won't even know it's there, trust me). 

I made the mistake of introducing arthouse cinema to my friends by bringing them to a screening of a Michael Haneke film. Let's just say I don't think they trust my film choices anymore. I loved the film though. They, on the other hand, were traumatised by it.

I draw a line though. If it's a horror, or a big popcorn blockbuster I always go with others. Some things are still more enjoyable when you're with other people. I can't imagine seeing Paranormal Activity by myself. Who would I hold on to when I get frightened? Don't laugh. Then there are films like My Sister's Keeper in which I know I'm going to cry. And I did. And not just a single tear kind of cry or a mere sniffle, but the full waterworks. Bawling your eyes out alone in a movie theatre is just sad, and not in a good way. Plus, it's hilarious talking about it afterwards. I've never been to a concert or a music festival by myself primarily because I get drunk going to these things and I can't get wasted without my friends. It's just not fun.

Apart from that I much prefer going alone. If it's arts-fartsy, foreign, subtitled or if it's something I know none of the people I know are going to be interested in, I'm definitely just booking for one. It's actually quite fun and liberating and you end up meeting and chatting with random strangers which I normally wouldn't do if I was with other people. As much as I love my friends and family sometimes you just gotta do things solo. Try it if you haven't already.

Image edited. Original from here.

Gross Und Klein // Sydney Theatre Company

The painful, awkward and ill-at-ease experiences of an outsider is perfectly and delicately realised in the Sydney Theatre Company's final main stage play Gross Und Klein. Lotte, played by Cate Blanchett is an outsider in every respect - social, societal and even self. She is gauche, bizarre and suspiciously wacko. But she is also terrifically funny, simple and inspires so much empathy that I found myself wondering and worrying about the present state of this fictional character.

"I wonder how she is now", I thought after leaving the theatre. I haven't had this kind of a reaction since seeing Fellini's Nights of Cabiria the very first time. In fact, the final scenes from that film and the final scene from this play struck a similar chord. With Cabiria's final glance into the camera and Lotte's final lines and her walking back into the blackness of the world, they both let us know that circumstances may not be ideal but they are going to be just fine.

Both characters stand on the fringes of society and Lotte even more so but she never lets that get in the way of her unyielding desire to connect with other human beings. This connection is something we all crave for even if it is only brief and shared with a complete stranger but rarely do we act on it unless it is accidental. Lotte on the other hand is very deliberate in her interactions, nothing is accidental and sometimes it even feels like she's trespassing over a tenuous social boundary. From the very first scene we feel we are an accomplice to an intruder. She eavesdrops over a conversation of two "philosophers" and even physically trespasses into a couple's bedroom. This trespassing persists throughout the play but the people Lotte disturbs become more and more unwelcoming. 


This is a sad story but comedic moments punctuates the play and the laughs are sometimes uncomfortable and even feel unsure. It's funny to see a grown woman dance awkwardly across the stage wearing a shimmery, gold dress but then it feels a tad sad as well. Like a stand up comedian going through divorce and cracking jokes about married life.


One of the strengths of the play comes from its thoughtful visual design. Alice Babidge's costumes are timeless and does not indicate a particular time or place. This could be set in any decade. It could be set in Germany or Australia, it doesn't really matter. The costumes serve a universal purpose that smartly takes the attention away from itself. Costuming is a language that can sometimes speak too loud or too weakly. Thankfully, Babidge finds the right balance. Although there is one costuming choice that feels out of place. Not Blanchett's gold dress but Sophie Ross' tube dress that barely covers her and makes her look like she came in from a night out at King's Cross. To be fair though, that's exactly what the character was supposed to be.


Johannes Schutz' set design is clever, functional and bold without overpowering the actors. There's a white beam going across the stage that serves several purposes throughout the play from waiting room seats to a faux catwalk. The clean geometry of furniture, props and their placement on the stage reflect a modernist feel. The sets are reduced of unnecessary clutter and details. It feels so restrained and empty that it's as if the space is visualising the cruel, cold commands of modern living.


Lotte is shoved around this cruel environment and though it feels empty she seems to inhabit the space as humbly and as pleasantly as she can make it.

Directed by Benedict Andrews from the Botho Strauss play and translated by Martin Crimp.

Images are edited from these original sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

THEATRE: Hamlet (Bondi Pavilion)

"A little more than kin and less than kind"

I saw a stage production of Hamlet in Bondi Pavilion months ago as part of my critical study of Hamlet for school. I’m starting to enjoy Shakespeare’s works now. Having only read it in class with students (including myself) reading lines in a painfully monotonous tone, I thought Shakespeare was pretty damn boring. And overrated. Apparently that’s a really big statement to say about such a revered writer and Shakespeare fanatics will probably poison me through the ear while I sleep. But I have balls. I can deal with it.

Anyway. Throughout the years I was utterly bored reading plays like Richard III and Macbeth (the name reminds me of a mix between a Big Mac and pakbet – lovers of Filipino cuisine will get this joke). I found myself longing to read novels like Of Mice and Men and poetry like Porphyria’s Lover instead, which we also did in class.

But after experiencing the words of Shakespeare come alive on stage, as well as in film interpretations, I grasped an understanding as to why his works are still studied and enjoyed by readers today. His words are not meant to be read in class – they were meant to be acted out by professionals who can read the lines and deliver them with a higher degree of emotional range.

The production I saw was evidently low budget. It was held at a very small theatre with limited costumes, sets and lighting designs. It’s probably not the best Hamlet stage interpretation I will ever see in my lifetime, but it was adequate. They injected more humour in the play – the whole theatre was full of schoolkids so I thought this was a good decision as it gave it more vitality and energy. The actors were also very much engaged with the audience and there wasn’t any moment when they lost that connection.

However, there were flaws. Firstly, the characterisation of Gertrude was too simplified. For such an ambiguous character, they could have taken her characterisation to a much deeper level. For me, she was one of the most interesting characters in the play and I felt a bit cheated. There were also faults in the use of music and sound.  The music was too filmic, instead of atmospheric. It would have worked in a film version, but being on stage, it took me out of the experience and was distracting. The sound was quite tacky and sounded like it was taken from a sound clip they found from a video editing software.

The highlight of the play was the opening scene, the clever use of flashlights (it was set in a more contemporary setting- Nazi period to be exact) created a sense of immersion and was quite captivating.

Their main target audience would have been high school kids studying the play and they achieved enough to reinforce an understanding of the plot, as well as highlighting the main themes. This is not the best thing I’ve seen on stage but it’s certainly not the worst either.

Image Credit

Versatile Blogger Award + A chance to acknowledge 15 blogs I love

The always wonderful filmgeek who writes for Final Cut has kindly awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. So now I'm going to share the love around by acknowledging 15 other bloggers I've recently discovered and now read religiously. But first:

1. Thank the person who gave you this award. (tick!)
2. Share 7 things about yourself. 
3. Pass the award along to 15 who you have recently discovered and who you think fantastic for whatever reasons! (in no particular order)
4. Contact the blogs you picked and let them know about the award.

Now it's time to talk about myself. Everyone go to the loo if you need to and grab some snacks and drinks because this is going to be a looooooong list. Yes, I love myself what are you going to do? Kidding, I'll keep this brief (reluctantly).

1) Every now and then I like to buy myself a massive cheeseburger and pretend that it's a Big Kahuna Burger while drinking a $5 milkshake and pretend to be Uma Thurman/John Travolta (depending on my mood)

2) I know the complete dialogue from A Bug's Life by heart

3) I fell asleep watching The Godfather (to be fair, I was talking about the third film)

4) My lifelong dream is to be photographed by either The Sartorialist or Jak and Jil

5) I fall asleep to music by Azure Ray. They have really soothing voices. I recommend their music to insomnia sufferers

6) My favourite things to eat in a cinema are Pringles and M&Ms. To drink: Vitamin Water or a latte

7) I always laugh when I watch people eat. Try it. Everyone looks so funny when they're eating.

Now the awards go to...

Sunset Gun written by Kim Morgan - The most beautiful blogger ever. She's super gorgeous and super smart. She writes incredibly insightful and lengthy posts about films, I always go to her blog for inspiration especially when I get a case of writer's block.

Last Night With Riviera written by Matt Riviera - A Sydney-based blogger who always puts up interesting posts. He's the very definition of a film buff. Plus, his Life in 100 films series are probably the most entertaining and inspiring posts I've ever read.

Jak an Jil written (or photographed) by Tommy Tan - A fashion blogger whose photos make me squeal in delight. I love how he always focuses on the details.

Epistemysics written by Adam - the funniest theatre blogger in the blogosphere. I really like how he reviews the theatre programs as well as the actual play.

The Style Rookie written by Tavi Gevinson - She's sat in front rows of fashion shows, been in Vogue, has very smart fashion posts and has a quirky and unique sense of style. And she's only thirteen. ( I think she's just turned fourteen though).

Daily Film Dose written by Alan Bacchus - Film reviews are always honest and really funny. The blog lives up to its name and is the most prolific blog I know.

Stale Popcorn written by Glenn Dunks - Another Australian blogger. Has interesting commentaries on everything related to film. 

Books on the Nightstand written by Ann Kingman and Michael Goodness - This is a blog/podcast that has book recommendations and discussions about books. They're responsible for my very long list 'To Read' list. Since both Ann and Michael work in publishing you also get an inside peek into the industry. 

BOOOOOOOM written by Jeff Hamada - The most updated design/art blog I visit. Always has interesting posts and every single one is pure eye candy. Note: There's 7 Os (I always forget that).

Style Salvage written by Steve and EJ - There's a plethora of fashion blogs out there about women's fashion. This one focuses on men and it has become my go-to place for inspirations and men's fashion reads. 

Garance Dore written by Garance Dore - She's one of the reasons why I'm angry at my parents for not being French and not making me french. Effortlessly elegant and takes beautiful photographs. And that accent!

Scare Sarah written by Sarah - A horror fan? You'll love this blog. Not a horror fan? You'll love it anyway.

Moleskinerie written by Armand Frasco - I have an unhealthy obsession with Moleskines and this blog just adds fuel to the fire. It's got fantastic posts about everything Moleskine, including artworks, Moleskine user profiles and Moleskine news. In short, it's Moleskine mecca.

Racso Ledger written by Douglas Racso - Very comprehensive filipino film blog. It makes me feel like I'm back home whenever I read one of his posts. He also shares similar film taste with me, so that's a bonus.

BryanBoy written by Bryan Boy - If you read about fashion, you know about BryanBoy. Marc Jacobs named a bag after him and is definitely one of the "superbloggers". I love how his blog is half travel, half fashion. Always funny, always interesting, sometimes bitchy. His twitter is also great.

Sydney Theatre Company's Stockholm and discovering my love for theatre

Haunting and Unsettling. Two words that critics used to describe this magnificent piece of theatre and also the two words that made me rush out to see it. I love to be haunted and I love to be unsettled, don't you?


I want a play to drag me by the hair and pull me out of my comfort zone. I want to shift uncomfortably in my seat and worry about what my friend, who is sitting next to me, is thinking when a rather disturbing scene is playing out right in front of our eyes. I want to feel the pain in my body when characters on stage become inflicted with physical violence themselves. It's much more fun to watch something like that. Agreed?


'Stockholm' is a story of two people who appear to be madly in love with each other (keywords: "appear" and "madly") but as the story unravels, we slowly see things go downhill. We witness supressed emotions violently expressed and seeds of anger into relentless rage. Then we see the cheeerful atmosphere set up in the opening completely obliterated. Then we (finally!) become helplessly uncomfortable. The fun starts.


British physical theatre Frantic Assembly collaborated with the Sydney Theatre Company to create a powerful piece of hybrid theatre, using dance and spoken word, to illustrate a story of an abusive relationship fuelled by both passion and paranoia.


I must confess that this is the first stage production I have ever seen, apart from musicals, and I was completely blown away by it. How on earth did I manage to exist in this world for 17 years and not once experience the power of theatre? I walked out feeling like I missed out on something so great, and I was hungry for more.


I wasn't sad or upset, I was relieved. I found another passion, and I was happy. I walked out feeling the same way I walked out of a screening of Michael Haneke's 'Funny Games' and realising that film can be more than just entertainment, it can be challenging. The same feeling I had the first time I listened to a Bjork song and realising that a singer's voice can be beautiful despite being otherworldly. The same feeling when I realised that burst of colour on a canvas is not just there to be pretty, but to tell a story too.
There's an incredible rush of energy through your body, not adrenaline, something more potent. It's a curious feeling but I know now that it's an indication of a new found passion, a way my body tells me that if I do this for the rest of my life, I'll die a happy man.