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Didn't go to the hair dressers yesterday with any intention of getting anything other than a bit of a trim and a tidy but Shingo thought differently.
I'm loving the lack of hair at the back and the wedge cut over the ears. We'll see how it washes and copes with cycle helmet although Shingo is very good at giving me practical as well as edgy cuts.
Ben Whishaw has not let me down with his choice of plays, so far, and there was a lot riding on this one as it was the reason for deciding to visit New York. So when Sunday night finally came, cue much excited anticipation.
The play is written by Alexi Kaye Campbell who was an actor himself and this may sound like a slightly peculiar thing to say but it is definitely an actors play. Kaye gives the three central actors two different characters to get their teeth into, setting the story around two groups of people living 50 years apart and switching the action between the two.
In the first, 1958, setting Hugh Dancy and Andrea Riseborough play middle-class married couple Philip and Sylvia. Sylvia is working on some illustrations for a children's book written by Oliver (Ben Whishaw).
When Oliver meets Philip there is an instant attraction and a relationship of sorts ensues. It is a relationship shaped by a time when homosexuality was illegal and seen as a treatable 'affliction'. It is also a relationship that Sylvia suspects.
Jump forward to 2008 and Philip is a photographer who has just dumped his boyfriend Oliver for yet another infidelity. Sylvia is their best friend.
With a far more liberal and supposedly accepting attitude from society towards homosexuality the issues switch to the price of that sexual freedom.
Whishaw, in a radio interview, said the play is about love. And simply it is but it is also about how society's attitudes towards being gay impact and shape that love and the people in love.
It is a deep subject matter but dealt with, with bursts of lightness and laughter.
The play debuted in and is set in London, so some of the references to parts of the city may have been lost on one or two of the audience members but it wasn't noticeable and the level of applause at the end implied it was thoroughly enjoyed.
But did I applaud vigorously? Do you need to ask? Of course I did. The cast were cracking, the play was both entertaining and engaging and Mr W didn't let me down - even when I stopped him heading off up the street to sign an autograph afterwards.
Other reviews:
NY Times - Musings on gay identity
Theatremania - The question of 'nature versus nurture' gets a queer twist
Time Out New York - 'I thought I knew you'
Yep just a coincidence....
Last morning in this fine city called New York.
Yesterday was another mammoth walkathon clocking up about 16km (pedometer decided to reset itself half way through the day). Did the International Center for Photography in the morning then walked down to the Empire State Building and onto the Flat Iron Building which has to be my favourite of everything I have seen.
Then I just strolled, strolled, strolled through Greenwich Village stopping for cups of tea, a bit of shopping and a huge slice of cheesecake (decided to throw food intolerances to the wind and treat myself).
And then the reason I am here: The Pride. The Lucille Lortel is a curious theatre. You virtually take two steps off the street and you are in the auditorium. There is no bar or kiosk of any sort just the stage, seating and a loo. No wonder the tickets prices are so high, with the programmess being free it's the only source of income.
Anyway the play was marvellous but I won't write about it here. What I will say is that I broke all my rules about encountering actors/famous people I admire and hung around at the stage door to get Ben Whishaw's autograph. I got the rest of the cast too so they didn't feel left out. (Hugh Dancy just signed and handed back and seemed in a hurry, Andrea Riseborough was chatty)
Ben was the last out and tried to sneak off down the road but I called him back (yes I shouted at Ben Whishaw in the street!) as there were a few of us waiting in the freezing cold.
He was really sweet though looking a bit embarrassed that he'd tried to sneak off.
A lady got her programmes signed first saying she'd come all the way from the West Coast.
It was then my turn and so I said I'd come all the way from London and it was a great play. He thanked me and said: 'We've come all the way from London too'. (Which isn't strictly true as Hugh Dancy lives with his wife Claire Danes in New York but I wasn't going to correct him.) He took his time to sign his name so at least you can read it, unlike the other scribbles. And he took the time to look everyone in the face as he handed back the signed programmes rather than just signing, handing back, signing, handing back etc.
And that was it. Brief and to the point.
Of course afterwards I thought of all the things I should have asked or said kicking myself all the way back up town to my hotel but in a way I'm glad I didn't because I probably would have made a tit of myself by saying something stupid. Which is why I have the rule about celeb encounters: Don't do it you'll only make an idiot of yourself and then feel mortified afterwards.
I am in New York, after an uneventful flight (if you exclude my at seat entertainment system only playing one of 30 or so films to choose from), a looong queue at immigration but a jolly immigration chap and then an even longer shuttle bus ride into town where, when we weren't stuck in traffic, the driver made me fear for my life. I swear the bus actually breathed in to go through some of those gaps as he constantly swapped lanes.
The first glimpse of the city's skyline was like looking at a painted stage backdrop - not quite real, almost as if it had been drawn on top of a normal city.
The hotel is trendy to the point of having one or two slightly bizarre 'features' my bedside lamp (right) being one. It's either phallic or a woman about to bite the head off a small bird but either way its an interesting choice.
My room is very small but perfectly formed. The single bed is bigger than a standard single and built into the wall with a padded head board along two sides so it doubles as a daybed/sofa.
And sadly the jet lag has kept me in my room. I was going to go and get some food but I'm just so tired I've had a protein bar instead and am trying to keep myself awake as long as possible. 9pm was the target and I've reached that but I might have to turn in. Will most likely wake up very early.
Off to New York on Thursday so keen to try out the new camera and at least learn how to use the basic functions.
Unfortunately today didn't have the most picturesque weather, uniform sludge gray sky, the kind of gray that even makes black and white shots look dull.
But I had a go. Helped a little by Chines New Year celebrations in China Town. Here are some of the better ones:
1. Benefits of a powerful zoom, being able to take shots like this of a Charlie Chaplin lookalike from an inconspicuous distance
2. It was very crowded in China Town for the New Year celebrations so I got a chance to try out the swivel viewing screen. I can hold my camera over my head by adjust the screen so I can still see what I am taking a shot of. These dragon dancers move quickly so am really pleased I managed to capture this one.
I know we are only in the second week in February but this one is going to take some beating: A Single Man. It is one that critics seem to have been raving about but as I've already found out this year films don't necessarily live up to the hype but this one certainly did.
Colin Firth is on cracking form playing George, a gay professor in early 60's America (nice to see him finally not hiding his acting skills under a rom-com/com-dram). He has recently lost his long term lover Jim (Matthew Goode) in a car crash and the film follows a 24-hour period where he seemingly goes through the motions of getting through a normal day while putting his affairs in order and making final preparation for taking his own life.
He goes to work, he goes to the bank, he even goes to his friend Charley's (Julianne Moore) house for dinner but through it all and even when both men and women are flirting with him, his grief is palpable.
There is no raging or hysterics, it is all in his face.
Having blubbed my way through the wonderful, wonderful Bright Star last November I didn't think there would be a film so soon that would prick my tear ducts to the same extent but this grabbed my heart and squeezed it until I nearly sobbed.
I had to sit through the credits just to compose myself.
I usually post the trailer but it just doesn't adequately represent the film I saw last night (at the marvellous big screen at the Mayfair Curzon).
Was listening to Marc Riley's show on BBC 6 Music last night as I often do. He regularly has new bands playing live sessions and yesterday it was a London band called Fanfarlo.
I really liked the two songs they played. The singer has a nice voice (it sounds a bit like someone else's but can't place), they have an interesting mix of musical instruments and nice sunny melodies, some tinged with a little melancholy.
So I went to their website and listened to some more, which I also liked and ended up buying and downloading the album Reservoir. I doubt many record stores, if any, would stock it as they are a small band still playing Student Union's in the UK.
Here is one of their tracks called Finish Line.
This, for me, would possibly be the worst job in the world.
In celebration of Groundhog Day, which day would you like to live again and again and again?
The first thing that came to mind was 'any day I went to see a play with Ben Whishaw in it' but to hone that down it would be the day I went to see him in Cock for the second time and there was a Q&A afterwards and then I went for a drink in the Royal Court with Poly whom I'd met for the first time having followed her on Twitter for months. The cast from Cock and The Priory together which was on at the main stage, together with some of their celeb friends were hanging out in the bar too.
Then the second day that came to mind was Christmas Day on Koh Ngai last year. Beautiful location, beautiful weather, yoga, lovely people, boat trip, amazing snorkeling, dinner on the beach while being entertained by lady boys, in full drag, lip-synching to Thai pop songs.
Both are quite recent but if I thought about it too much I'd never be able to narrow it down to just two.
There are always more films than I possibly have time to see in January and February, teased into release by the lure of potential Oscars.
The critics have been in inevitable raptures having been rationed potential cinematic gems for the previous 10 months (film distributors know that earlier releases of Oscar fodder stand pretty much no chance as the academy seems to have short memories).
And so I get excited too about what might be on offer for my viewing pleasure and although I try to pay no heed to what the critics think, I can't ignore the film posters with the lines of five stars and splashes of superlatives.
The last four films I've seen have all been given so called critical acclaim and shortlisted for various awards (some have even won a gong or two already).
But have they lived up to the hype? (Click on the film title for the trailer)
1. Up in the air (Metacritic score: 83/100; Stan score: 61/100)
Everyone seemed to be raving about Clooney in this. But he was George Clooney playing the same character he plays in most of his films. Yes the film lucked in by having a particularly apt theme but it was amusing rather than funny and shied away from being as black as it promised. I did enjoy it for a tired on Friday night and just want to site with a glass of wine movie but I wouldn't applaud energetically if it won any big awards.
2. A Prophet (Metacritic score: none given; Stan score: 65/100)
It won at Cannes and at the London film festival and I had genuine high hopes for this prison/gangs/cultural clash drama but after and initial tense half an hour or so, it started to lose its hold. I found it difficult to follow who was working for whom and who was spying on who etc. and although it has quite a worrying message I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that it wasn't quite as gripping as the film poster adjectives had led me to believe.
3. The Road (Metacritic score: 90/100; Stan score: 90/100)
Now I nearly didn't go and see this. I'd heard how harrowing the book was and wondered whether is was suitable January film. But having listened to an interview with the director John Hillcoat on Radio 4's brilliant film programme, curiousity got the better of my fears about being depressed by it and I'm glad it did. I loved it. I was gripped from the outset and yes it was harrowing and depressing at times it was ultimately heartening. It deserves to win big on all accounts.
4. Precious (Metacritic score: 79/100; Stan score 82/100)
The trailer made me cry everytime I saw it so I had high hopes and while I was surprised I didn't cry more, there were a couple of heart wrenching scenes in it. It was refreshing to see a gritty, brutal and real teen drama that wasn't about gangs. Even Maria Carey was convincing as a social working with her face stripped bare of make up. Shame they couldn't do the same for Paula Patton, who played the teacher Miss Rain and looks like a young Whitney Houston. She was just too well turned out and groomed to fit naturally with the rest of the film.
Picture by Buschap on Flickr and used under creative commons license
