As an author, there’s nothing more exciting than receiving the author’s copies of your book. In this video, writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi unboxes the delivery of 12 author’s copies of Bound Feet Blues, the BOOK.
Yang-May writes:
The books arrived during the last week of rehearsals for the show. I got home late one evening and there the box was. I was exhausted and just wanted to sit down and have something to eat. But seeing that box there perked Continue reading
Tonight is the last night of writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi’s solo performance of the stage work Bound Feet Blues! But the story does not end here – the book Bound Feet Blues (now available, published by Urbane Publications) will continue the legacy of this astonishing creative work. The BOOK contains the full script of the show PLUS the stories that Yang-May could not fit in to the hour long show.
** Bound Feet Blues is on at the Tristan Bates Theatre for one more show only – tonight Sat 12 December 2015. Don’t miss this “mesmerising” and “powerful” show – there may be some tickets left or as returns so you can buy tickets below or via bit.ly/bfbtickets **
Rehearsal – Aunty Diana’s tells her story
To conclude our daily blog on the show, here are some highlights from reviews and audience feedback:
“Bound Feet Blues is a warm, funny and groundbreaking exploration of women’s expectations, concerns and desires. With deft strokes, renowned storyteller Yang-May paints a nuanced picture of her coming-out (too-new hiking boots), explores Chinese-Malaysian culture (bare feet, bound feet) and considers the span of generations and mother-daughter-relationships. Her voice is a honed musical instrument, and her performance – a blend of voice and movement – feels like a generous gift.” – Mooky Chick
Performance – “.. I step off into air”
“It was genuinely one of the most moving, engaging and intimate shows I’ve ever seen in a theatre. By coincidence, the previous evening, my wife and I went to see The Winter’s Tale, with Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench; but of the two, Bound Feet Blues was by far the more rewarding and memorable experience!”
“I loved your physicality and performance. The piece was beautifully written – complex, moving, so many layers.”
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BUY THE BOOK from Urbane Publications’ website and use the discount code ‘shoes‘ for 25% off the RRP
The two final performances of Bound Feet Blues EVER are tonight Fri 11 December and tomorrow Sat 12 December. Writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi looks back on her amazing debut on the London stage over the last three weeks as she considers these last two nights when she will be performing Bound Feet Blues for the last time.
Yang-May writes:
Performing Bound Feet Blues has been challenging, terrifying and exhilirating all at the same time. As a first time performer with no formal drama training, taking to the stage five nights a week for three weeks has been a huge test of my stamina and everything I’ve worked for with director Jessica HIggs in terms of my dramatic abilities. To have pulled it off with 5 star feedback from audiences and terrific reviews in the press has been amazing for me!
** Bound Feet Blues is NOW ON at the Tristan Bates Theatre until Sat 12 December 2015. Don’t miss this “mesmerising” and “powerful” show – buy tickets below or via bit.ly/bfbtickets **
In every performance, when we get to the footbinding scene, it is electrifying in the theatre. From the stage, I can sense the utter stillness in the audience as if they are all holding their breath, totally riveted to every word and gesture. There are occasional gasps and winces as the process of the footbinding becomes more and more intense.
I’ve also appreciated the warmth of the audiences as they laugh during the lighter scenes of me as a child and with my family. Their generosity and engagement spur me on each night to give my best performance for them.
As a performer, each night has been special with each different audience and I will always cherish this unique experience of performing in my own show in the heart of London’s West End. As a writer, it has been immensely rewarding to see audiences respond to my words and the drama that I have created for the stage.
I am looking forward to these last two performances which will have a very special meaning for me as the show comes to an end. I will savour each moment even more!
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BUY TICKETS
**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 **
Bound Feet Blues explores the psychological impact of the ancient Chinese practice of footbinding – and uses it as a metaphor to explore our psyche as modern women in search of feminine desirability and empowerment.
Writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi demonstrates the brutal process of footbinding on stage in a horrifying sequence that has the whole audience holding their breath in utter silence – using no more than her hands and the audience’s imagination.
This week is your last chance to catch this mesmerising solo show so don’t miss out ….
** Bound Feet Blues is NOW ON at the Tristan Bates Theatre until Sat 12 December 2015. Don’t miss this “mesmerising” and “powerful” show – buy tickets below or via bit.ly/bfbtickets **
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BUY TICKETS
**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 **
Audiences who have seen Bound Feet Blues have praised the show in the highest terms. We are delighted to share with you some of their terrific feedback for writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi’s debut solo show:
“Go and see this challenging, affirming and funny one-woman show. One woman .but many characters, all drawn with moving insight”
“Amazing performance”
** Bound Feet Blues is NOW ON at the Tristan Bates Theatre until Sat 12 December 2015. Don’t miss this “mesmerising” and “powerful” show – buy tickets below or via bit.ly/bfbtickets **
“Wonderful, so moving and thought provoking and the message is so powerful. I love the way everyone can take it and apply it to some part of their life. I can’t wait to read the book! .. Truly inspiring.”
“Beautifully woven stories” – Kumiko Mendl, Yellow Earth Theatre
“You were absolutely amazing! What a brilliant, powerful performance and such a moving story.”
“It was genuinely one of the most moving, engaging and intimate shows I’ve ever seen in a theatre. By coincidence, the previous evening, my wife and I went to see The Winter’s Tale, with Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench; but of the two, Bound Feet Blues was by far the more rewarding and memorable experience!”
“Fabulous”
“It was a tour de force of your creative spirit, pleasure to witness.”
“I loved it when I saw it on the first night & it was even better this time. I was able to appreciate the richness & depth of your story telling even more.”
“Your story resonated with me & your talent was truly inspiring. Thank you.”
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BUY TICKETS
**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 **
As we enter the last week of Bound Feet Blues, this is your last chance EVER to catch the show. Writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi has no plans to take the show on tour or revive it in the future as she will be moving on to other creative projects once the show ends.
There’ve been several SOLD OUT nights and people have been queuing for returns for previous shows. The last night 12 December is almost sold out.
If you haven’t already seen this astonishing show, make sure you get your tickets NOW to the last few performances this week – extra availability on Thurs 10th and Fri 11 December.
** Bound Feet Blues is NOW ON at the Tristan Bates Theatre until Sat 12 December 2015. Don’t miss this “mesmerising” and “powerful” show – buy tickets below or via bit.ly/bfbtickets **
Don’t take our word for it – here is what some audiences last week have said about Bound Feet Blues:
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BUY TICKETS
**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 **
Theatre reviewer Magda Knight has this to say of Bound Feet Blues on the blog, Mooky Chick which is an online magazine for “all those alternative people who don’t want to constrict themselves with a label”:
“Bound Feet Blues is a warm, funny and groundbreaking exploration of women’s expectations, concerns and desires. With deft strokes, renowned storyteller Yang-May paints a nuanced picture of her coming-out (too-new hiking boots), explores Chinese-Malaysian culture (bare feet, bound feet) and considers the span of generations and mother-daughter-relationships. Her voice is a honed musical instrument, and her performance – a blend of voice and movement – feels like a generous gift.”
and…
“It’s heartening that such an entertaining, insightful performance exploring sexual orientation and East Asian culture could happen in the theatre heartland of London’s West End, a place where mainstream commercial shows more typically feature the stories of the white middle-class.”
** Bound Feet Blues is NOW ON at the Tristan Bates Theatre until Sat 12 December 2015. Don’t miss this “mesmerising” and “powerful” show – buy tickets below or via bit.ly/bfbtickets **
You can read the full review here
Following on from Jo Good’s amazement at writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi’s versatile toes during the BBC London interview the other day, we thought we’d share a performance photo from Bound Feet Blues featuring these star quality toes!
** Bound Feet Blues is NOW ON at the Tristan Bates Theatre until Sat 12 December 2015. Don’t miss this “mesmerising” and “powerful” show – buy tickets below or via bit.ly/bfbtickets **
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BUY TICKETS
**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 **
Writer/ performer Yang-May Ooi returned to the BBC London Studio again to talk with Jo Good, one year on from her previous appearance on Jo’s show. Their conversation takes in Yang-May’s versatile toes, bras and the psychology behind the brutal practice of footbinding as depicted in Bound Feet Blues.
** Bound Feet Blues is NOW ON at the Tristan Bates Theatre until Sat 12 December 2015. Don’t miss this “mesmerising” and “powerful” show – buy tickets below or via bit.ly/bfbtickets **
You can listen again by clicking on the image below:
OR via this link
Yang-May Ooi with Jo Good, BBC London 27 Nov 2015
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BUY TICKETS
**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 **
There are a series of 3 Q&A sessions during the 3 week run of Bound Feet Blues. One of them – on Tue 8th December 2015 – will be chaired by China consultant and curator, Betty Yao. We are super thrilled that she is taking part in that particular evening – the Pan Asian Womens’ Association (PAWA) have bought up the whole theatre for a special outing for their members.
** Bound Feet Blues is NOW ON at the Tristan Bates Theatre until Sat 12 December 2015. Don’t miss this “mesmerising” and “powerful” show – buy tickets below or via bit.ly/bfbtickets **
Betty is the Director of Credential International Arts Management, a consultancy providing project management expertise to organisations in the UK and China. She has organised the Wellcome Library exhibition China: Through the Lens of John Thomson 1868 -1872 which has toured to 17 cities in China, Europe, US and seen by nearly 900,000 visitors.
The evening is sold out but you can get tickets via PAWA as part of their charity theatre outing.
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You can buy tickets for Bound Feet Blues on other nights during its 3 week run 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.
Bound Feet Blues - A Life Told in Shoes 