Posts Tagged theatre
Liberty Theatre
Posted by 'Pong in Photography, Travel on 05/04/2009
On the trip to Yass, Pia Waugh took us to this Art Deco venue, Liberty Theatre. Her parent bought it to renovate and make it active for the town again. We were also told that this place was often used as a wedding reception. That gave us the impression that it must have been very significant the community.
At the moment a local drama group uses it and the ground floor foyer is converted into a gift shop. Whereas the upper level foyer is the store room and upper seating needs a lot of work to do. The most amazing thing is the control room which has no electricity. The only light source is from the windows which illuminate like stained glass. It is beautiful and creepy at the same time.
It reminded me how the landscape of social entertainment changed. For examples, Thai folk theatres, Likay, are struggling for a living, let alone conserving the craft or old cinemas are abandoned in Southeast Asia. The world seems to be moving on too fast that we neglect to look back.
Blowing Whistles
Posted by 'Pong in Performance, Photography on 31/10/2008
Out of the blue, I am contacted by Focus Theatre and asked for my photography of Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Party in their production of Blowing Whistles in Sydney, Adelaide and London. I say why not. Blowing Whistles is about contemporary gay culture. Two men is celebrating their tenth anniversary relationship on the eve of Mardi Gras and cruising for another guy online. That changes their lives forever.
I have not seen the show and am curious how my photographs are put in the show. London show is adapted for the local scene but they could not find suitable London gay party scene images for it. So they use mine which you cannot really identify specific scenes anyway. That makes me think how you put yourself into what you see and photograph.
For the past couple of years, I believe that we, a group of Flickr’s Sydney PhotoBloggers and photography students, has brought a new level of how the events can be documented and expressed on photography via Robert McGrath of Darlinghurst ArtSpace. However, they still choose happy snappy shots and publish them on their photo galleries after all. I take my viewers to explore the other side: up-close, candid and chaotic. Of course, they will not appear in a place that tries to sell you party tickets.
I always ask questions about being a queer. It seems too easy to be who you are these days. We almost have everything that we have been standing for: acceptance, equality and so on. What next when we have all of those. What are we going to fight for when we get the rights as any other people. Although we have passed the point that no one gives a damn of your gender, age, race or sexual preference, there still is discrimination agianst everything at some level even within gay & lesbien community itself. It is time to see ourselves and stop asking for those rights but start acting as we deserve them with respect. Yes, respect. If we want one, we have give one also.
Blowing Whistles is showing in Sydney until 15 November at Darlinghurst Theatre and will be a part of Feast Festival 08, Adelaide, at Bake House Theatre, 18-23 November. And it is showing in London until 29 November at Leicester Square Theatre.
The Fabulous Punch and Judy Show
Posted by 'Pong in Comedy, Performance on 16/02/2008
It’s dark, kinky and funny. The Fabulous Punch and Judy Show is the Aussie extreme adaptation of this classic puppet show. This medley of sex and murder scenes portrays the violence and turns into a cabaret as if out of this world. On the other hand, they could be found in the news everyday: wife beating, child raping, gay bashing and so on.
No wonder why I felt very intense after the first time visiting this play as a photographer on the final run-through. While I was concentrating on visions through the camera, the violence came straight into my brain without diluting with punch lines. It is comedy, anyhow. Once I saw it again as an audience on the opening night, I could laugh with its wits and outrages. Surreal tone went along perfectly with the wacky performances. Especially, the cover version of Aussie pop classic was the most adorable.
The Fabulous Punch and Judy Show is a part of Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Festival 2008 and currently playing at Cleveland Street Theatre until 29 February.
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