Lesley in Hong Kong

Are you taking precautions?

A trip out - Hong Kong style...

Today I went to a yoga class in Central.  Gyms and exercise places have been closed for weeks, they reopened last Friday.  For those not familiar with Hong Kong, Central is the busy central district (Obv!).  Many people are out shopping, working or attending various appointments at the hundreds of offices in the area.  Everyone is wearing a mask. 

After listening to Boris Johnson glibly telling the population of the UK they could go back to work...well I think that's what he said...but not state clearly the precautions the public would need to take in order to remain safe...I want to describe how normal it has become in Hong Kong to protect oneself while protecting others. 

HONG KONG HITS 23 DAYS WITHOUT A LOCALLY TRANSMITTED COVID-19 CASE.(SCMP 12.5.20200)

The most prominent fashion accessory of every person I see is the surgical face mask.  Everyone wears one.  In some places, it is mandatory to wear one and quite common to see a sign saying you will only be allowed in the shop, bus, cafe, hairdressers if you are wearing a mask.

In my bag I carry a spare mask in its own case, anti-bac wipes and a bottle of hand sanitizer.  

I board the bus and hold the handrails in order to prevent myself from falling over while the driver pulls away and I haven't quite sat down.  I think the risk of touching a handrail, possibly with germs on, overrides the risk of falling over and cracking my head or breaking my leg. Life is all about risks, isn't it?  I will not touch my face.  I will wash my hands.  I notice others not risking touching any handle.  Those people take out paper tissue and use it as a layer between their hand and the rail.   I also notice people using a scrunched up tissue to press lift buttons or next stop buttons.  

My yoga class is on the second floor of a large building.  Upon entry to the foyer, the doorman jumps up and approaches me with an automatic digital thermometer.  Obviously he is wearing a mask.  I am used to the routine now so I stand still and lift my fringe to give him full access to my forehead.  The device beeps - normal.  I am allowed further into the lift lobby where the floor surface, lift call button and floor numbers have a plastic covering and a sign promising me they are regularly disinfected. 

I take the risk and press the button with my finger.

Upon exit of the lift and into the reception area of the yoga studio I am once again required to have my temperature checked. Again I oblige by lifting my fringe - still normal.  There are bottles of hand sanitizer provided at this point so that I can wipe my hands of anything I may have picked up on my journey so far.

I complete the Health and Travel Declaration Form which I get access to by scanning a QR Code.    I confirm that I have not travelled outside of Hong Kong in the last 14 days.  I confirm that I have not been in contact with any person who has Covid-19 and I confirm that I have no symptoms of Covid-19.  

I can then scan a second QR Code on the studio app which confirms that I am a member and have previously booked a class. 

The studio receptionist used to (back in the old days)  hand out a plastic access card which I would then hand to the yoga instructor - thus proving I had booked and paid for the class.  This system is disbanded now.  No plastic card is used thus avoiding any unnecessary human to human contact.   No skin has touched other skin by this point in the check-in process.

I head to the locker area and remove my outside clothes, shoes and face mask.  I put my possessions in my locker and then WASH MY HANDS (Singing happy birthday twice) making sure that I use soap on every square millimeter of my hands and fingers - I've seen the demonstration video with the black paint about how to wash my hands. 

I am good at washing my hands.

I notice that the seated area and vanity units are restricted so only alternative seats can be used.  This is to main the designated 1.5m distance between people.

I enter the yoga studio and I am acutely aware of not touching anything with my hands until I get to my previously sanitized yoga mat which is placed at least 1.5m away from any other person in the room.  I also have a previously sanitized yoga block that I place on the safety of my previously sanitized yoga mat. 

The class takes place.  You will understand that yoga is not a contact sport.  

Once the class is finished I place my block in a designated area for sanitizing and a team of janitors enter the studio and begin cleaning the room of our potential germs and preparing it for the next class.

I shower and dress and replace my surgical face mask.  I wash my hands again as an extra precaution. 

There is a cafe within the studio complex where cash is no longer welcome.  Payment is only accepted with a card and I notice they no longer use ceramic cups to serve coffee but instead a recyclable paper cup (that makes little sense to me - surely they can wash the cups?).

Upon returning home I remove my face mask and bin it.  I wash my hands again before touching anything else.  Once dry I find my handy pack of anti-bac wipes and wipe down my door handle, light switch, handles of my bag and my phone.   At this point, I feel I have completed all necessary precautions and can get on with being relatively normal (I might wash my hands again just to be on the safe side) and get on with the socially isolating task of working from home.

This is month FOUR of taking precautions.  Schools open again on 27th May 2020 with restrictions.

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HONG KONG CASES: 1047 - DEATHS: 4

UNITED KINGDOM: CASES: 224,436  DEATHS: 32,141

(John Hopkins University, WHO and Heath Authorities 12.5.2020)

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Boris! What are you thinking?

 

 

Podcasts - The recommended list

It seems like ancient history now, but my first mini iPod Shuffle was my savior.  It needed quite a bit of attention on a weekly basis. I had to attach it to my 'big' computer and upload newly released podcasts which would give me, hopefully, five days worth of listening time while commuting to a grim job that gave me little joy.  Laughing to myself while commuting made a bit more bearable. Sadly Russell Brand and Jonothan Ross have both since been sacked from the BBC podcast department never to return!  Never mind, there are many many more. 

Technology has moved on.  A handy app on my smartphone automatically deals with my listening pleasure by automatically updating the podcasts I subscribe to.  It suggests others I might also enjoy.  It even starts playing previously recorded ones I may have missed from two years ago once I've exhausted the most recent.  

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During this time of social isolation, they have become more important to me.  To have their familiar voices speaking (I imagine to me) is very calming and makes me feel more connected to the outside world.  At the moment many of these podcasts, as they are based in the UK, are still being recorded while in lockdown mode so there are many references about back bedrooms and kitchen tables because they are not in their usual professional studio setting. 

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These are the podcasts I enjoy - you might too?

 

Kermode and Mayo's Film Review 

BBC Radio 5 Live Kermode and Mayo's Film Review- updated every Friday and my regular Saturday morning listening.  As well as reviewing the latest releases and interviewing actors and directors, I enjoy the banter between Mark and Simon.  I am a long time listener and dedicated member of the church of wittertainment and get all the in-jokes.  Hello to Jason Isaacs. 

The Frank Skinner Show

The Frank Skinner Show on Absolute Radio -  Frank gets star billing but he is actually with Emily Dean and Alun Cochrane who bounce the banter off each other.  Frank Skinner is a very talented stand-up comedian and has been for many years.  Look on YouTube to find his stand up, it's excellent - not for the faint-hearted.  He tones it down a lot for the radio with delightfully warm anecdotes about family life with Alun and Emily keeping it all flowing.  

Frank Skinner - analysis of his 'Jealousy' sketch.    Here is a taste of Frank explaining his stand-up.

Walking the Dog with Emily Dean from The Times

Walking the Dog with Emily Dean This is literally Emily going for a dog walk with various interesting people and chatting along the route.  Emily obviously truly loves her own dog, Raymond, who often features.  Guests have included Martin and Shirley Kemp, Emily Maitlis and the Rev. Richard  Coles.  Emily has recently written a best seller called 'Everyone Died so I Got a Dog'. It explains her experience of the grief she has had in her life - yet it's funny at the same time.  I find her so friendly and warm towards her guest dog walkers she manages to always get them talking about genuine human experiences.

Word of Mouth presented by Michael Rosen

BBC Radio 4 Word of Mouth  Michael has very clever linguists on the podcast who can explain the way the English language works and he himself, former children's poet laureate, is a clever wordsmith.  He invites experts who talk about language which can be how storytelling works to how we use language to talk about sexuality to joke-telling to advertising brands and what makes them memorable. 

Biscuit Names - Word of Mouth 28 mins  If you ever wanted to know why bourbon is called a bourbon or why a custard cream is called a custard cream this is the podcast for you.

At the time of writing Michael is very poorly.  I keep reading occasional updates on twitter about his condition.  I hope he recovers soon and is able to leave the hospital.

 

The Guilty Feminist with Deborah Francis White

The Guilty Feminist This is recorded live with an audience. Deborah presents this as an on-stage show with a variety of guests, often singers or comedians.  It is entertaining, funny with serious bits.  She always begins the podcast with some confessions about how she is trying her best to be a feminist but has in some way lapsed over the past week.  Her guests also contribute to the confessions beginning each confession with the phrase "I'm a feminist but..."

I’m a feminist but… one time I went on a women’s rights march, and I popped into a department store to use the loo, and I got distracted trying out face cream. And when I came out the march was gone.

Listening to this podcast has introduced me to many interesting people.  The latest is a folk singer - Grace Petrie.  Since lockdown in the UK Grace and her friend have recorded one song per day following A-Z of the alphabet and put all the songs on Instagram.  She's great.  

This is a link to Grace singing Black Tie - a catchy, yet politically charged ditty.

Grace Petrie- Black Tie (official Video)

Fortunately with Jane Garvey and Fi Glover

BBC Radio 4 Fortunately...

With hundreds of years of experience in broadcasting between them, these two stalwarts of Woman's Hour literally have a catch-up and incidentally invite interesting guests.  Their podcast is usually recorded in the piazza just outside Broadcasting House and it feels like/sounds like they are chatting over a coffee and saying hello (or please can you keep your voice down) to people walking past.  Topics have included scientist Adam Rutherford's discussion of the relationship between science and ideas of race and genealogy to Jane's admission that she doesn't understand how to copy and paste!

Table Manners

Table Manners with Jessie Ware and her mum Lennie  Jessie and Lennie invite celebrities to their home in West London and feed them delicious food.  It's a podcast so we just have to believe it's delicious.  The interest in the podcast and particularly Lennie's recipes has resulted in a cookbook.  Recently their guests have included David Schwimmer, Riz Ahmed, Dua Lipa, London Hughes and Rick Astley.  They have 3.5 million following!  Always fun and always funny - a bit sweary.  Their final question to each guest is "Do you think you have good table manners?" followed by "Is there a particular table manner you feel particularly strongly about?"  Example - "Yes, people who blow their nose on the napkin and put it on the plate for the server to clear away".

The Guardian interview with Jessie and Lennie Ware - mother and daughter presenters of Table Manners

Off Menu with James Acaster and Ed Gamble

See my last blog post about this one

Dream Menu

My Dad Wrote a Porno - where James Cooper reads aloud chapters from his dad's book 'Belinda Blinked' to his mates Alice Levine and Jamie Morton.

My Dad Wrote a Porno 

So much has been written about this podcast and it has become incredibly popular since they first decided to record James reading the cringingly awful chapters of the book from his kitchen. This podcast will cause debilitating moments of doubled up laughter in public places if you listen to it through your earphones while on public transport.  It will cause people to stare and look at you as if they are deciding to call an ambulance or have you ejected from the bus.

The author, AKA Rocky Flintstone, has very little knowledge of actual sex and is particularly sketchy on human anatomy.  He has even less knowledge of grammar and punctuation.  This is why it entertains vast amounts of followers from all over the world.  It is the innocence of Rocky and the mortified embarrassment of James that keeps us all wanting - for the next episode.  If you have never listened then start with Series 1 and work your way through. Hilarious!

 

Other podcasts worth a mention.

BBC Radio 4 Thinking Allowed

Mary Portas - Work Like a Woman

Mortified

How to Fail with Elizabeth Day

Something Rhymes with Purple

Older and Wider

 

Please explore at your will.

Off-Menu - what would you have in your dream restaurant?

 

https://www.offmenupodcast.co.uk/

 

I am taking the idea of the Off-Menu Podcast (click on the link above to listen to it) because I am not famous enough to be asked to be a guest on it.

The basis of the podcast is that guests are asked what they could have if they were in their dream restaurant where absolutely anything can be served from anywhere in the world.  This can be food from a past holiday, your grandma's Yorkshire pudding, a 5-star fancy place you went once or a Formica table greasy spoon cafe.  It can be indulgent.  It can be selfish - because you don't have to be concerned about sharing or being overly full or pleasing anyone else at the table - its a DREAM.  A FANTASY meal.

You get to pick from the following list:-

1. Still or sparkling water?

2. Popadoms or bread?

3. Starter?

4. Main Course?

5. Dessert?

6. Drink? 

These are the categories specified by James Acaster and Ed Gamble.  I have never worked out why it has to be a choice of two types of water or why its popadoms or bread - it's not as if any dream restaurant would have just a choice of two things?  And why would anyone have popadoms if they weren't having curry?   James and Ed doggedly stick to these choices to begin.

Here is my dream order:-

1.  Still water

Served at room temperature.  Do not.  I repeat. Do NOT serve it chilled and DO NOT add blooming ice to my water.  Note to the server.  If you see I have taken two or three sips from my room temperature water DO NOT immediately spring over to my table and fill up my glass like its a never-ending fountain of liquid.  I do not want copious amounts of water during my meal.

And while I'm on this topic of springing, swooping or sidling - leave me alone to enjoy my food during the whole experience.  Do not think of things I might need on my table like lighting a candle, or placing salt and pepper after I have ordered.  Make sure my table is well equipped with everything I may need.  Only approach my table to remove empty plates at appropriate times.  

2.  Bread

Small granary rolls from The Cakery which used to be a lovely bakery in Holmfirth.  Freshly baked, still warm, very dark brown with salted butter.  I will have two of these because in the dream restaurant I won't get full or bloated and calories do not count. 

3.  Prawn cocktail stuffed Avocado

I can't say I have had this in any particular place but I just adore fat juicy prawns and ripe avocado.  My preference of sauce is mayonnaise.  I don't want anything that will overpower the subtle tastes.  I think I like the texture of this combination more than anything else.  If I could I may order it x2!

4.  Christmas Dinner

Not to blow my own trumpet, oh go on then I will.  This will be cooked by me.  Succulent turkey cooked using the Gary Rhodes style (see previous blog post).  Lashings of hot turkey gravy. Cranberry sauce. Roast potatoes, roast sweet potatoes, roast parsnips.  Brussel sprouts.  Carrots (cut long ways with butter melted over them).  Red cabbage with apple and raisins.  Sausages wrapped in bacon and stuffing.   I would like to add a slightly controversial addition of Yorkshire puddings.   Specifically, they would be the square Yorkshire puddings my Fishburn Grandma used to cook on Sundays and serve first with some gravy.  Once we had eaten those, then we got the meat and vegetables.  

5. Chocolate lava cakes with fresh raspberries and pouring cream

I have had lava cake in many places, Jaspas in Sai Kung for instance (but not for ages) and there are never enough raspberries - so LOADS of raspberries, please.  I want the mixture of the hot chocolate sauce and the cold cream to run together, so give me two spoons so I can really scoop up the deliciousness. 

6.  Orvieto Classico - Italian white wine - chilled - obviously - to bring back memories of a lovely Italian holiday from way back when. 

The ending of a meal can often end with coffee.  This is not part of the format in the Off-Menu podcast but I am adding that I don't really want to sit at the table for much longer once the dessert is over.  My preference is to go home and put the kettle on to make tea to my specific taste and drink it from my best mug on the sofa, waistband undone!

The Future - what happened to it?

Space 1999

In the lead up to the year 2000, I was extremely disappointed that the shiny future I felt I'd been promised would not be ready.   There would be no flying cars or silver catsuits.  There would still be food, as opposed to nutrition-packed pills.   My formative years were filled with images on TV showing me the fabulous futuristic future.  The Jetsons and Space 1999 have a lot to answer for!

 

The year 2000 came and went - still no flying cars or silver catsuits.  I still had to peel carrots and wash-up. 

What will 2020 be like?

2020 will soon be here - I know, I'm shocked too -  That futuristic dream of how science and technology would be so advanced it would be mundane, even domestic, is in tatters.    I dreamt that by the time I reached 2020 (fingers crossed)we would all be living in a peacefully perfect world where all conflicts had been forgotten.  I truly thought that the concept of working from home would be embraced by most people while the amount of leisure time would have been increased.  All folk would have terrifically stimulating hobbies that meant they bonded with others in a warm and comradery way.  No one would need to make the tea because a robot would deal with that, oh and everyone would fly around in their flying car or, even better, use The Transporter from Star Trek. 

In my imagined future, everyone would be warm enough or cool enough and technology would be able to supply all energy for free as that is just a human right.  If we want to keep the world populated then heat and light is a given.  Surely no one needs to profit from that? 

We have spoilt it

But it seems that we have spoilt the future for ourselves in an attempt to make convenience king.  The convenience of buying fresh food has become a multimillion-dollar industry involving factory farming and air transportation for lettuce.  The fast-food industry has fueled our craving for instant gratification so we can now walk around eating and drinking, then dump the plastic containers on the street.  There is now more plastic in the ocean than fish and more landfills than forest.  

Inconvenience should be king

Right now there is a riot going on in my neighbourhood and the conflict seems to have no resolution.  That is tragic enough.  But the most important issue is the unsustainability of our lifestyle.  The future I used to think was possible, those flying cars and silver catsuits, is as far away as the concept of peace in our time because the reality of the future, the air we breathe and the water we drink is filled with pollution created by the craving for convenience we thought we wanted.  

Our future is not one where science and technology make everything convenient.  If we do have a planet to live on, we will have to get used living a much simpler life where inconvenience is king because it is the only sustainable way to keep the population going.  Instead of that flying car, I imagine if I can't get anywhere by walking then I won't be going.  I still fancy that silver cat-suit though... 

 

Hong Kong has a monumental waste problem. (BBC Future)

South China Morning Post - it recycles news.

Are there any new topics to write about in the South China Morning Post?

After almost 17 years of living here the content of it remains the same and nothing is solved. There are only five main items.

1. Concern for children's spines due to the heaviness of their bags has been in the paper for years. Nothing ever changes and those spines continue to be overloaded.

2. The small-house policy in the New Territories interspersed with the issue of illegal structures on said small-houses is continuous. Either the department dealing with this are just too busy or the department exists in name only.

3. The shocking price of property compared to the amount of floor space you get for your cash is never ending. Occasionally this story becomes headline news when a record is broken and no one in the developed world can believe the numbers.

4. Air quality is another infamous topic. Apparently it is totally and completely the fault of those pesky factories in mainland China. Nothing changes and Hong Kong remains helpless.

5. The impending and complete exhaustion of the available landfill space for rubbish in Hong Kong has been in the SCMP continuously yet the situation is ignored and no one in Hong Kong has the slightest notion about sustainable recycling.

Trick Eye 3D Museum - The Peak, Hong Kong

Trick Eye Museum - 3D Hong Kong  - click here for the website.

Ok Ok I know I know, this is for kids right?   Well, bugger that!  Me and my other psudo-child friend had an absolute ball in this place.  We fully embraced the experience and went selfie bananas at every possibly opportunity.   

It's from Korea

The Trick Eye Museum is a Korean concept where many fantastic, vibrant murals are all over the floors and walls affording you the opportunity of posing within the art work.  It seems a little strange at first but there are photos on the walls to give you an idea what the end result will look like.  Believe me, you look much better in the photo than in real life!

The best way to explain it is to show you some photographs from the day.

 

How to get there.

You can do the tourist thing by getting the Peak Tram which has it's own waaaaa moments. Or you can get the Number 15 double decker bus No. 15 bus route. which does take about an hour, also has it's waaaaa moments if you sit in the front seats. 

Go and have some fun and get your selfie on at the Trick Eye Museum!

 

 

 

 

 

Dialogue in the Dark

http://www.dialogue-experience.com.hk/web/subpage.php?mid=6

 

Address: Shop 215, 2/F, Nob Hill Square, 8 King Lai Path, Mei Foo, Kowloon
Telephone: 2310 0833 (General) / 2891 0438 (Group Booking) / 2310 8610 (Birthday in the Dark / Special event)

 

Mei Foo MTR Exit C - 5 -7 minutes walk

 

Online Booking

I pre booked an experiential tour in the dark for 22 people.  Their website booking system was a little too restricting for my dates and times but after some very helpful email exchanges I managed to book what I really wanted.

 

This is a very unique experience for adults and children alike.  You'll be outside of your comfort zone and that is something we should all do from time to time.   The basic point of the tour is to experience what it's like to navigate yourself around a busy city (Hong Kong) and all the challenges that involves as a visually impaired person using a white stick.

 

90 Minutes in the Dark

After some instruction about how to hold a white stick, in small groups of eight, we were lead by our visually impaired guide for 90 minutes in complete darkness.  When I say dark, I mean complete and utter blackness for the whole time.  There was no time that my eyes made an adjustment to the environment.  There was no time that I had any idea what the environment looked like or where my guide was.  Although I knew I was with seven other people, there was no time I knew how many where in front or behind me. However, our guide used his voice in the most comforting way.  He gave clear instructions about which direction to walk and when.  

 

The Route

The route took us through various places which we had to feel with our feet, hands and stick as we walked slowly, with trepidation, through the space.    Within the dark dark space a recreation of a wooded area with leaves to feel and a gravel floor to a street scene and even boarding a ferry has been constructed to give sighted people the disarming experience of beginning to know what it's like to be without the sense of sight.   I say beginning to know, because I feel sure that living without sight has many more restrictions than the 90 minutes can ever tell us, but at the same time gave our group an appreciation of the skills required.   It also gave us an idea that our guide was much much more perceptive in the dark than any of us.  He was so aware of us and where we were, remembering our names and guiding, directing and giving us confidence to know where to go, we began to think he was actually wearing night vision goggles.   HE WASN'T.  

 

Back in the Light

Once we were back out into the light and our white sticks returned is when we could see our guide for the first time.   He has been visually impaired since birth.  It was most humbling to meet him and have the opportunity of having a Q&A session with him.  We also had a go at writing braille and using a special plastic device to work out which bank note is which.   There are many gadgets and techniques to help visually impaired people to cope in many different areas of life.

 

Dialogue in the Dark offers many options where, if you are brave enough, you can celebrate your  birthday with  a party in the dark and musical concerts in the dark.   Instruction can be in English or Cantonese. 

 

 

 

 

Mushroom Bakery, Sai Ying Pun - YES !

Mushroom Bakery has opened a new branch in Sai Ying Pun.   I am totally and utterly happy about this.  I have bought my 'good' bread from them in Sai Kung for over 15 years and of all the things I have missed since I've moved out of Sai Kung, proper bread has been one of them.

Flourish of Cornets -  hooray!

Mushroom Bakery

345A Queens Road West

Sai Ying Pun

tel 9580 9168

Now I can buy my freshly  baked rye loaf, sliced at request!

Mandala

I made these using gel pens on black paper, two of my first attempts.  I particularly like the white pens on black paper.

 

Definition

 

Mandala

ˈmandələ,ˈmʌn -noun

 

1. a circular figure representing the universe in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism.

 

Last November I attended a weekend of Mandala making.  Having hardly ever embarked upon anything arty for many years it was with some trepidation that I arrived at Kadoorie Farm and met the most creative and confidence giving Katie Flowers and Claire Kirk.  

http://wildatartstudio.blogspot.hk/   For information about other workshops have a look at the Wild At Art website or Facebook.

Over the past two years I have become a yogi.  I go to yoga A LOT.  I am stronger and more flexible and am hooked on the routine and discipline it offers.  Yoga isn't just about the physical workout as there is a prominent spiritual aspect to where meditation is part of the session.  I have tried meditation.  I understand that during guided meditation my mind and body can 'stop' and there is talk of enlightenment.  I have laid on a mat in the dark with my eyes closed.  I have Ommed.  I have hummed.  I have stared at a candle flame and I have dozed off.  But I have never really understood what is supposed to happen...not so far anyway.

Now I find that drawing mandalas is perfect for switching off my mind and fully concentrating on the eight point repeated pattern that it follows.  I have produced piles and piles of different sizes and designs and colours and am in constant look out for more pens, paints and paper so that I can start new ones.   This is meditation.  

 

                                                                                Plethora of colour and repeated pattern.   

 You tube is full of tutorial videos 'How to..."  do anything and everything you could possibly imagine, and many you had never imagined no doubt.  I find this all a bit overwhelming.  My introduction to this technique by Katie and Claire was exactly what I needed, clear and simple.  Now I am on a mission to find repeated pattern and use many and various sources for my own work.  I use Pintrest and have a collection of Mandala ideas there.  I constantly have my camera ready and now take photos of pattern that takes my eye where ever I happen to be and that could be Tory Burch, H n M or the pavement or someone's make-up bag.  I see pattern everywhere and am adapting it into my own work.  Sometimes I go wild and do something that isn't a circle, I know!

 

 

Hamlet - National Theatre - The One, TST, Hong Kong

http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/ntlout10-hamlet

 

                                                                      Set at The Barbican 

People of Hong Kong!

 

I implore you to check the schedules of our movie theatres and look out for the National Theatre, London, productions which are now being screened regularly.

https://www.britishcouncil.hk/en/programmes/arts/national-theatre-live

 

There's a bar

They really are very like an actual theatre experience and a most enjoyable evening out.  There is usually a 20 minute interval, just like an actual performance, where everyone can make use of the bar, have a leg stretch and a toilet break.

Costumes

The most recent one I attended was last weekend at The One, 100 Nathan Road, when I saw the marvellous Benedict Cumberbatch as Hamlet.  It was spectacular.  He was spectacular.   The staging was spectacular.  I was particularly taken with the costumes which were, for the most part, 1940s style apart from Hamlet, Horacio and Ophelia who wore modern casual clothes, hoodies and jeans.  After the 'play with-in the play' scene Cumberbatch wore a long military tail coat with the words 'KING' crudely painted across his back which was quite amusing and under the coat a Ziggy Stardust t-shirt.   I doubt it had any significance to the recent and shocking death of David Bowie as it would have been recorded months ago in London, but it did make me think  - why Ziggy?