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The power of vulnerability to inspire others – Yang-May Ooi talks about performing Bound Feet Blues

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Yang-May Ooi talks about allowing herself to be vulnerable on stage in performing Bound Feet Blues and how vulnerability can inspire others to connect with their heart and  humanity.  You can read the full interview by writer/ journalist Anna Sayburn Lane on her blog, Bloomsbury Bluestocking.

Click on the image below to go to Anna’s blog to read the full article…

bloomsbury blue screenshot

Bloomsbury Bluestocking is a blog about writing and literature by Anna Sayburn Lane.  Anna is a novelist, short story writer and storyteller, inspired by the history and contemporary life of London. She is editing her first novel,Unlawful Things, and contemplating novel number two. She has published short stories in a number of magazines.

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You can buy tickets for Bound Feet Blues via bit.ly/bfbtickets

DETAILS

Tristan Bates Theatre
1A Tower St, Covent Garden WC2H 9NP

Tue 24 Nov – Sat 12 Dec, Tue – Sat at 7.30pm.
Tickets £16 / £12 concessions.
Q&As post-show, 27 Nov & 4 Dec.

One week to the opening night of Bound Feet Blues! Have you got your ticket yet?

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Yang-May Ooi’s astonishing one woman show Bound Feet Blues will open in one week’s time on Tuesday 24 November 2015 at Tristan Bates Theatre. Have you got your ticket yet?

Not yet? Don’t miss this extra-ordinary tour de force solo performance. You can still buy tickets via bit.ly/bfbtickets

Bound Feet Blues takes us back to ancient China to the inner chamber of a mother with bound feet as she describes and demonstrates the brutal practice of footbinding on her daughter. We may judge this in our modern times as cruel but if we were women living in that time, would we do the same out of love for our little girl?

We also see Yang-May as a tomboy aged 10 and as Continue reading →

Introducing the world of Bound Feet Blues: Going to a ball at Oxford

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Bound Feet Blues takes the audience on a journey across Europe, Asia and Australia to tell the stories in writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi’s family and in her own life. We will be giving you a snapshot of these landscapes here on this blog over the next few weeks.

Today, Oxford.

Bound Feet Blues opens with a beautiful young woman walking along Oxford’s High Street  to a summer ball in stiletto shoes…

Here are some photos of the beautiful university city of Oxford and its gorgeous summer balls…

 

from flickr.com, thanks to Jessica Keating Photography – https://www.flickr.com/photos/jessandinca/ (CCL)

 

from flickr.com thanks to Queens Ball 2010 – https://www.flickr.com/photos/queens2010/ (CCL)

Bound Feet Blues: “young men in black tie and us girls in our beautiful ball dresses” – writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi, aged 20, with “Josh” on the night of the ball

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The Legacy of Our Stories – read writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi’s article on the blog of the Life Enhancing Coach, Sue Plumtree

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As older women, we have a wealth of wisdom and experience. But are we sharing those riches with others or are we hiding them from the world? Writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi is taking to the West End stage for the first time, aged 52, to tell her personal story and she wants more women in mid-life to make a difference to others through sharing their stories. She shares her story on the blog of the Life Enhancing Coach, Sue Plumtree

You can read the full article on Sue’s blog by clicking on the image below:

sue-plumtree-screenshot

Sue Plumtree  is an established author. Her first book ‘Across a Crowded Room: how to find and keep the love of your life’ (Hodder Headline) was followed by ‘Dancing with the Mask: learning to love and be loved’ (find out more here).

She is regularly interviewed by the media, including BBC Radio 4’s ‘Woman’s Hour’, ‘late night with Graham Torrington’, ‘The Daily Mail’, ‘The Daily Telegraph’, ‘The Observer’ and Continue reading →

Yang-May Ooi on Radio 4 Midweek talking about Bound Feet Blues – audio

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Writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi was on Radio 4 Midweek earlier this week talking about Bound Feet Blues with Libby Purves and other guests Sally Bagnall, Diana Melly and Michael Portillo. Listen to the end to hear her asking Michael Portillo whether he would wear high heel shoes…!

Click on the image below to listen to the audio:

midweek screenshot

OR click here to listen

Comments from listeners:

” I loved your tea carrying story, your ‘would you wear high heels Michael?’ moment, and your use of the word ‘brutal’ to describe foot binding. It was brutal!”

“You were wonderful! particularly enjoyed your question to Portillo re- high heels.”

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BUY TICKETS to Bound Feet Blues

**You can buy tickets for Bound Feet Blues via bit.ly/bfbtickets **

DETAILS

Tristan Bates Theatre
1A Tower St, Covent Garden WC2H 9NP

Tue 24 Nov – Sat 12 Dec, Tue – Sat at 7.30pm.
Tickets £16 / £12 concessions.
Q&As post-show, 27 Nov & 4 Dec.

**BUY ONLINE via: bit.ly/bfbtickets **

In the studio

L-R: Polly Bagnall, Diana Melly, Yang-May Ooi, Michael Portillo Credit: BBC Midweek

Meet Papergang Theatre, Bound Feet Blues partner at Tristan Bates Theatre as part of the South East Asian Arts Festival

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We have invited Papergang Theatre to share our theatre space at Tristan Bates Theatre as both Bound Feet Blues and Papergang are taking part in the South East Asian Arts Festival (SEA Arts Fest). Papergang will be producing three Papergang matinees of play readings by East Asian playwrights during the Bound Feet Blues run – the Bound Feet Blues team are delighted to be able to support new East Asian writing in this way.

Papergang Theatre

Papergang webpage - screenshot

Papergang Theatre was formed by graduates of the Royal Court Unheard Voices programme, which develops writers from ethnic minorities. “Our mission is to create theatre work that reflects the multi-cultural society we live in, bringing contemporary voices from our community into the mainstream.

At Papergang, we know that a writer can only realise their full potential if their work is produced and has a life beyond the page. We are a theatre company led by a diverse range of Continue reading →

Meet Jessica Higgs, director of Bound Feet Blues

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Jessica Higgs was the first of the creative team to come on board the production after writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi, directing the showcase performance of Bound Feet Blues in Oct 2014. She is at the helm again taking the show to the next level for the 3 week run of the full production in a few weeks time, opening on 24 November.

JESSICA HIGGS – Director

Jessica Higgs was the founder and Artistic Director of In Tandem TC (2000-08) whose worked focused on difference and integration of difference in society, creating platforms for culturally diverse and unheard voices. For the company she directed an acclaimed Pinter double bill ofLandscape and Mountain Language, translated and performed entirely in British Sign Language by Deaf and hearing actors, and the British Premier of Canadian, Alex Blumer’s Smudge, both at Ovalhouse. Other directing work includes: Julie McNamara’sPigtales and Pig’s Sister (Jackson’s Lane, Ovalhouse, Theatre Workshop Edinburgh and internationally); Will Eno’s Lady Grey (Soho Theatre); Wesker’s Four Portraits – of Mothers(Bridewell Theatre). Jessica is also a voice coach working regularly at Central School of Speech & Drama, British-American Continue reading →

Introducing the landscape of Bound Feet Blues: The Inner Chamber of a Bound Foot Mother

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In Bound Feet Blues, writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi takes us to a a diverse range of settings and times – from Oxford in England to the Australian Outback, and also the landscape of ancient China. We are giving you a glimpse into these different places here on this blog over the next few weeks.

In a central scene in Bound Feet Blues, Yang-May demonstrates on stage the gruelling process of footbinding on a little girl.  So, today, we introduce you to the inner chamber of a mother with bound feet where such a process would have most likely taken place.

The home was a woman’s domain in ancient China. Within that was the inner chamber, a private space for the women of the household only. There the women would sew and read and tell stories. And  also probably carry out the ritual of footbinding on the daughters of the family.

Women at home – thanks http://depts.washington.edu/

Woman, Qing Dynasty – thanks to http://www.elegantstory.com/, via Pinterest

Women with bound feet via Pinterest

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You can buy tickets for Bound Feet Blues via bit.ly/bfbtickets

DETAILS

Tristan Bates Theatre
1A Tower St, Covent Garden WC2H 9NP

Tue 24 Nov – Sat 12 Dec, Tue – Sat at 7.30pm.
Tickets £16 / £12 concessions.
Q&As post-show, 27 Nov & 4 Dec.

 

Photos and Write Up from Papergang Theatre’s Echo Night at the Bush Theatre – incl Bound Feet Blues extract

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Writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi was invited to perform an extract of Bound Feet Blues at the Echo event of East Asian performers at the Bush Theatre, hosted by Papergang Theatre back in October. Here are some photos from the night – and also a write up by Papergang on their blog.

Yang-May writes: “It was great fun – and also a privilege to be performing alongside so many talented East Asian artists. Thank you to Papergang Theatre for inviting me to show an extract from Bound Feet Blues. The audience were warm and enthusiastic – some of them said the character of my Mum that I played reminded them of their old aunties from Malaysia! I am delighted!”

With the other performers on the night, and Papergang Theatre founders Simon Ly and Clarissa Wylde (extreme left) Photo credit: Papergang Theatre

Performing “Some Enchanted Evening” extract from Bound Feet Blues

 

Team BFB L – R: producer Eldarin Yeong, director Jessica Higgs, writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi

For a write up of the evening, check out Papergang Theatre’s blog post “Echo at the Bush”:

“Tuesday 20th of October, saw our first collaboration with the Bush Theatre, a new writing and storytelling event ECHO. We showcased an evening with Continue reading →

Meet Claudia Rocha, videographer for Bound Feet Blues

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Claudia Rocha filmed Yang-May’s TEDx talk in 2013 and went on to film the scratch night performance of Bound Feet Blues in March 2014 at Conway Hall. She has stayed with the team ever since, capturing the showcase performance in Oct 2014 and is now going to be filming the show for two nights of the Bound Feet Blues full production run in Nov/ Dec this year.

Claudia Rocha, videographer

Claudia Rocha

Claudia Rocha is a freelance photographer and cinematographer, originally from Portugal, now based in London. She has worked on documentary films as well as photo shoots for Vogue Portugal, NY Mag and other magazines. http://byclaudiarocha.com/ 

 

Here is her highlights edit of the showcase performance of Bound Feet Blues:

Continue reading →