Show Time - No Sex Please, We're British

To be honest, I did not really enjoy this play. I am not even going to attempt to summarise the plot, but I am just going to do a Ctrl+C & Ctrl+V of the lengthy synopsis from Sistic.

No Sex Please, We're British

This riotous comic farce notched up a staggeringly successful sixteen-year run in the West End.

The plot surrounds a young, highly ambitious, assistant bank manager, Peter Hunter, who lives in a flat above his bank with his attractive, new bride, Frances. Married life is bliss and Peter's banking career blossoming but then Frances innocently sends a mail order for some Scandinavian glassware. What comes back though is a box full of Scandinavian – 'er, adult material! Then the fun starts!

The two, along with the bank's frantic, chief cashier Brian Runnicles, must decide what to do with the subsequent veritable and unstoppable flood of extremely dubious photographs, books entitled 1001 Perversions, reels of blue movies and even the arrival of two, glamourous "party girls" that threaten to engulf this happy couple - not to mention Peter's career at the bank!

The matter is considerably complicated by the sudden arrival of Frances' overpowering and intruding mother-in-law, Eleanor, and Mr. Bromhead (Peter's so-important boss), Mr. Needham (a visiting bank inspector of even greater importance), and Superintendent Paul (a nosey police superintendent who won't be deterred and threatens to reveal everything).

Add the muddled Brian Runnicles who does everything wrong in his reluctant efforts to help set everything right and all of that works up to a hilarious ending worth of one of the great, British farce plays.

I do not blame you if you did not get through all that. 

Sure, there were funny moments worth a chuckle or two, but by and large the plot about the characters' shame and panic over the pornographic materials mailed to them is dated since people these days might even post about the hilarious error on their social media sites.

Plus, it did not help that the acoustics of the theatre was not that good so some of the dialogue spoken was barely audible from where we were seated. The elderly gentleman seated in front of me constantly turned to his younger companion and asked her to repeat what the actors said. As you can imagine, that really added to my enjoyment of the show.

I need to point out that the actors played their roles well, but their acting could not save the show from its plot. Tickets to the play are upwards of $100 and in my humble opinion, not worth the price.

No Sex Please, We're British

Event Date: Wed, 6 - Sat, 16 May 2015; Tue - Fri: 8pm; Sat & Sun: 4pm & 8pm

Venue: Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel

Dining Out - Manzoku

Before our play at Raffles Hotel, SC and I met at Manzoku for dinner. This is the sister outlet to Chikuwa Tei on Mohamed Sultan Road.

The tables in this place are spaced very close together, such that I knocked over a bottle of soy sauce while wriggling between the tables to get to my seat (or it could just be that I am a hippo). This means you don't have to try very hard to eavesdrop on your neighbouring tables or to observe delicate moles on their faces.

The menus are exactly the same as those used in Chikuwa Tei. For the specials, they just hand-wrote the word 'Manzoku' and pasted it over 'Chikuwa Tei'. It was pretty funny.

I got the Chirashi Don, which features thick slices of sashimi laid atop vinegary Japanese rice.

Chirashi Don

The portions were generous so it satisfied my craving my sashimi sufficiently. At $25, I consider this value-for-money compared to Chirashi Dons in other restaurants.

Manzoku

Address: 18 Purvis Street Singapore 188597

Phone: 6734 4436

Random iPhone Shots

Some random images that make me LOL.

This one describes me to a T.

This one needs no explanation.

S sent this to me and we launched a HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA texting war.

This is the meme I want to send to people who give me bad well-meaning advice. A cute animal always softens the blow, no?

Show Time - Backstreet Boys

BACKSTREET'S BACK, ALRIGHT!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D

That pretty much sums up my level of enthusiasm the entire night while watching the concert with S & J. On a side note, going for the concert signalled that it is already May. How did time fly back so fast? But it's okay...

Sorry, I could not resist.

The sold-out concert was held at The Star Theatre and the audience are mostly in their late 20s and 30s. But when the time came, everyone started screaming like overexcited teenagers (us included). 

The Backstreet Boys are conscious of their age and made passing jokes about it. Their synchronised dance moves were low impact but still endearing nonetheless. They came onstage playing instruments and performed some of their songs a capella midway through the concert.

When they performed songs from their latest album, In a World Like This, responses from the audience were lukewarm but still supportive. But as soon as the opening strains of their past hits start playing, the audience went crazy (us included). We had a great time singing along to songs like The Call, Shape of My Heart, Larger Than Life, I Want It That Way.

My only gripe is that the acoustics of the place was terrible. The music was so loud at some points of the concert that I had to raise my hands to my ears because it was so loud it hurt. 

Still, I had such a fantastic time with my homegirls. Ah, nostalgia. Oh, to be young(er) and carefree again.

Backstreet Boys

Event Date: Sat, 2 May 2015, 8pm

Venue: The Star Theatre

Cafe Hopping - Banana Tree

After lunch, Mum & I went to check out Banana Tree, a new cafe originating from Korea located in Keong Saik.

I ordered their signature Som Som Latte (Banana) for myself and while Mum just got a regular cappuccino. We also got an Espresso Flower Paap to share.

Espresso Flower Paap & Som Som Latte

The desserts and drinks here are creative in design and very photogenic. The plastic flower decor on the Flower Paap adds a splash of cheery colour to the cupcake-sized creation housed in a ceramic pot. Chocolate biscuit crumbs looking like soil cover the top layer of the cake. The cake itself tasted pretty decent, but it was nothing to shout about.

The Som Som Latte looked dreamy, with a generous tuft of cotton candy sitting atop the drink, accessorised with a colorful marshmallow and a bright yellow pick fork. If drinks have genders, this drink would most definitely be a girl. And the Flower Paap would be the eager suitor that came bearing flowers.

WE'RE SMILING FOR THE CAMERA!

The latte was pretty tasty. Apart from the caffeinated Banana flavour which I got, other base options include Milk Caramel, Matcha and Chai Tea.

Banana Tree
Address: 26 Keong Saik Road Singapore 089133
Phone: 9831 5214

Sweet Endings - +39 Gelato Bar

After the play, we drove to nearby Circular Road to grab gelato at +39 Gelato Bar. 8 Days had given the place a glowing review and I was eager to try the gelato to see if it could measure up to the amazing versions I had in Italy.

I got Pistachio & Hazelnut and S got Coconut & Grapefruit.

Pistachio & Hazelnut, Coconut & Grapefruit

The gelato was smooth and rich, but melted a little too quickly even in the air-conditioned area. It was good, but I don't think it rivaled the ones I had in Italy, especially those in Florence.

Somebody take me back to Italy please!

+39 Gelato Bar
Address: 29 Circular Road Singapore 049385
Phone: 6532 0380

Show Time - Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral

Watched my 4th The Studios: fifty play with S today. It was just the 2 of us because H stood us up for a last minute weekend getaway to KL. Booooo.

Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral

Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral is a play by the late Kuo Pao Kun and it is a play that examines the life story of the famed Chinese eunuch, Admiral Zheng He, who explored the world by sea in the 15th Century upon the orders of the Ming Emperor. Parallels are drawn between Zheng He's life experiences and the plight of modern beings in today's society as the play unfolds.

Admiral Zheng He's Travels

I have tremendous respect for this dude. He was the original #YOLO traveller - having great adventures, exploring foreign countries, trying exotic foods, meeting new people.

In this interpretation by director, Jeff Chen, the play was narrated by a myriad of different actors in (presumely pre-recorded) voiceovers. The voices of Siti Khalijah and Karen Tan were instantly recognisable to me. The actors who performed had no dialogue at all, relying instead on their body language and eyes to act out their emotions.

The play was bizarre and interesting in that it felt more like a series of avant-garde performance art that is up to the audience's own interpretation. From sexual intercourse staged with the help of broken mannequin body parts to a balloon-penis making competition, this play was like nothing I have ever seen before. There are broader themes to think about as you take in the ridiculous scenes unfolding before your eyes.

The show reminded me of a discussion in English class on Art during my secondary school days. 'What is Art?' was the question and over the course of that term, we learnt about different art movements, different artists and debated the question many times. That term in school ignited my passion for art and taught me to appreciate art in its different forms.

The examples quoted of local performance artists left an indelible impression on me when I was 15. I remember feeling disgusted when told about Vincent Leow drinking his own urine after he peed into a cup in front of his audience and Josef Ng snipping his pubic hair in public. We were told good performance art is meant to evoke strong reactions and feelings, encouraging discourse and debate. By this definition then, since S & I were not inspired at the end to dissect the play and pore over all the performances, then this show has fell short of its mark.

Oh wait, we did discuss that Timothy Nga looked great in a loincloth. So there was that.


Descendants of the Eunuch Admiral
Event Date: Thu, 30 Apr - Sat, 3 May 2015; Thu - Sat: 8pm; Sat & Sun: 3pm
Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio