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Champagne and Cigarettes. Nina's new show

2012-09-19 4:27PM / BLOG新聞

Dear Friends,

I know sorry for being MIA... but I just opened last night with a new show at the McAulay Studio in HK Arts Centre. If you are free and would like to see a bit of comedy and some drama come along. A night of several 10 minutes sketches of which I am in 3. As with all my shows having a tipple or two before hand always adds to the experience. Tickets found in good old URBTIX.

Performances: 18th -22nd Sept 8pm. Matinee 22nd Sept 3pm
Location: McAulay Studio in HK Art Centre, Wan Chai.
tickets: $200
Bookings are available from the credit card
booking hotline 2111 5999

http://urbtix.cityline.com.hk/internet/action/event.do?actionFwd=eventDetail&event=18230

think Friday is selling out. Hope to see some of you there!

Nina xx

我來說兩句
A Midsummer Night’s Dream Review and Pictures

2009-02-16 9:29AM / 標準BLOG

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

February 10, 2009

Southwark Playhouse
4- 28 February

For the Southwark Playhouse’s annual Shakespeare production, director Jonathon Man utilises the classical Japanese dance genre of Kabuki in this ambitious re-imagining of romantic comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The play is centred around the wedding celebrations of Daimyo Theseus and Hippolyta, and is comprised of three overlapping plots: Hermia elopes with her lover Lysander, threatened with death by her angry father Egeus at her refusal to marry Demetrius, who follows them, chased by his first love Helena, who is still infatuated with him; Oberon, the king of spirits intervenes with the help of his servant, Puck, whose mistakes lead to some dangerous consequences, not to mention love triangles; Meanwhile, the ‘Kaga Craftsmen’ are rehearsing a comic tragedy to be performed at the wedding, drawing some interesting parallels between characters, regardless of their sizable class-divides.

The production opens with a chorus of seven singing players performing a classical Kabuki song with handclapped accompaniment, which leads into both Japanese and English dialogue, with a strong commitment to the original script. The formal Japanese dance is too much for some audience members though, as I become slowly aware of a girl shaking as she bites her fist in an attempt to contain her sniggering.

However, the second half sees a transformation in Watanebe, whose more animated physical performance as Oberon is a million miles away from his somewhat awkward playing of Theseus. He is particularly strong in the scenes where he is commanding and scolding Puck (played by the versatile Jay Oliver Yip, who also plays Egeus and Quince) and ad-libbing; when a member of the audience interrupts his singing in Japanese, he responds with an “Eh?” and carries on seamlessly. The audience erupts with laughter, but this time the sniggering is with, rather than at the performance.

The first half is much harder to follow overall, with the Japanese-English language mix just a little too disjointed. Again, this is resolved in the second half, where we are treated to a wide range of spectacles, from an elegant fan and mask dance to a truly hilarious rendering of Pyramus and Thisbe, the play-within-a-play.

The stars of the show are Hermia (Nina Kwok) and Helena (Julia Sandiford), whose comically violent physicality and witty grasp of the script (respectively) stand out above all else. Matt McCooey (Lysander and Bottom) also has a wide-eyed optimism and innocent charisma that is a pleasure to watch.

-Patrick Coyle

3個評論– 我來說兩句

Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream this Febuary in London.

2009-01-28 8:15AM / 標準BLOG

Southwark Playhouse presents

A Midsummer Night's Dream

William Shakespeare

February 4th 2009 - February 28th 2009

Show starts: 7.30pm
Running time: 90 mins

Don’t get caught in the fairy crossfire!

Southwark Playhouse re-imagines Shakespeare’s most magical play in Samurai Japan, bringing the mysticism of the East to the atmospheric cellars beneath London Bridge Station.

Inspired by the delights of Japanese Kabuki dance, the grace of Noh theatre and the comedy of knockabout Kyogen clowns this Midsummer Night’s Dream will create a world where the charmed and the charming co-exist.

Packed into 90 minutes this production will combine vibrant verse, striking physical imagery and ensemble performances to breathe life into this most mischievous of plays.

Directed by, innovative British Chinese director Jonathan Man, this year’s winner of the Better Bankside Shakespeare Award.

Post-show talk – Thursday, 19th February 2008

"Southwark Playhouse’s annual Shakespeare production is a credit to the most theatrical of boroughs"
Time Out

<<Back | Buy Tickets

Creative Team

Director	- Jonathan Man
Designer	- Wai-Yin Kwok
Lighting Designer	- Chris Pye
Sound Designer	- Cos Chapman
Movement	- Billy Sy

Cast

Theseus / Oberon	- Kenji Watanabe
Hippolyta / Titania	- You-Ri Yamanaka
Egeus/ Puck / Quince	- Jay Oliver Yip
Demetrius / Flute	- David Lee-Jones
Helena / Starveling	- Julia Sandiford
Lysander / Bottom	- Matt McCooey
Hermia / Snug	- Nina Kwok

Supported by

Better Bankside

Royal Victoria Hall Foundation

The Topinambour Trust

Workspace Group

1個評論– 我來說兩句

2009

2009-01-26 8:01AM / 標準BLOG

thanks for all the lovely comments. just an update. I was in HK over christmas and new year. New years was actually spent at the alive not dead new years party.... Good food, good times. I love the idea of working more in HK yet the industry seems difficult to break in. I had a radio play which aired in London on BBC Radio 4 on the 1st of Jan in the new year which was exciting.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00g50lh/b00g50l1/Afternoon_Play_Hong_Kong_by_Night/

enjoy! and Happy New Year!

Afternoon Play: Hong Kong by Night
Love story by In-Sook Chappell.

Locked out of her apartment, Poppy can either wait in the lobby for morning or accept Arthur's invitation to explore Hong Kong by night.

Arthur ...... Oliver Williams
Poppy ...... Liz Sutherland
Alice/Waitress ...... Nina Kwok

Directed by Abigail le Fleming. Broadcast on:BBC Radio 4, 2:15pm Thursday 1st January Duration: 45 minutes Available until: 3:02pm Thursday 8th January

Now I am in the full swing of rehearsals in London. The show is Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. It is set in Japan where we are running around in Kimono and ....ballet shoes :b. My main character is Hermia. Whom the guys Lysander and Demetrius fight over until they are put under a spell by a forest spirit Puck. The show has been cut down to 90 minutes so is fast and active. We also have 2 wonderful Japanese actors who play Titania and Oberon. They will be speaking in Japanese and English so it is a bilingual production. I feel so lucky. I have been in bilingual shows with cantonese /mandarin and english. My last Shakespeare show King Lear was performed in Shanghai. But I never thought I would get to take part in a Japanese production. It is truly an honour. And it is fascinating to take on the japanese theatrical culture, however little given the short time we have to rehearse. We have 3 weeks to put together all costume, dance, physical theatre and play. But the actors and production team are pulling together well. I did some research into this play by watching the Japanese version of King Lear - Kurosawa's 'RAN' . I took alot from it and was very much inspired by the fool in the film. M planning to base one of my characters on him. But also there is one of the most insane, hilarious and creepy scenes in it. Just look out for the crazy woman who plans to murder and then spends a minute laughing her head off and running around the room before making love to her victim.... It will all make sense if u watch it.....

Well this is it for me. If anyone is in London this Febuary, come and see the play. Details below! till next time!