December 29, 2000

More of herself - that's what actress, Beatrice Chia, assures you in her directorial debut of Shopping & F***ing come January 2001.

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If one word fits Beatrice Chia like a tight body wrap, it has to be Controversy with a capital C.

She won't admit it, but she's battled scandal countless times, the latest being Toy Factory's provocatively-titled play, Shopping & F***ing.

"Maybe they think I have a history of doing work which has a sexual theme and content," she speaks unashamedly of the suspicions of those near and dear to her.

"Just by the title alone, I've had so much flak from people already. Some of my closest friends have rounded up and reprimanded me for picking a project that will be scandalous, and has a theme which is sexual.

"Come down and watch the play because you can't, based on a title like that…judge a book by its cover," she rebuts.

Beatrice The Director
This time, though, she will be behind the stage in her virgin directorial effort. Toy Factory's artistic director, Goh Boon Teck, gave her a call in July, asking her to read the play and consider taking up the baton.

"Boon Teck had seen the play in England and wanted very much to do it," she says.

Her first impression of the play was that it was simply beyond her. "It's too hard," she remembers bleating.

"For a first-time director, I'd rather you give me something with a straight narrative. Don't give me something as difficult as this."

Beatrice only relented after receiving assurance from Boon Teck that he would bail her out in the event of a disaster.

But beyond the encouragement she received to delve into another aspect of theatre, the actress claims the material won her over and inspired her to make the text come alive on stage.

She was never coerced into directing Shopping & F***ing, she pitches.

"I like well-written plays, plays which are emotional, where there's a lot of human emotion and human conflict as opposed to more of an issue-based play," she adds with conviction.

What Is The Play About?
Don't concern yourself with the title, Beatrice warns; it's not meant literally.

"This play is not about making statements, it's basically about showing you the lives of these people, presenting them on stage for the audience to be aware of it. In a nutshell, it has been called the Trainspotting of the stage."

The characters in Shopping & F***ing will be played by Mark Richmond (Stories About Love, Triple Nine), Chua Enlai (Guys and Dolls, Lovepuke, Bud), Benjamin Ng (Ah Kong's Birthday Party, Is This Our Stop?) and New York newcomer, Christian J. Lee.

Most Promising Newcomer 1999, Adelina Ong, completes the cast.

If it's one thing Beatrice wants to put absolutely straight (pun intended), she is adamant the play "should not be known for explicit content. It should not be known for shock value".

She downplays the buzz about Shopping & F***ing being a play that "explores alternative lifestyles", informing that that the focus should be on "disconnection…about young adults who have no direction in life".

A media statement packages it as a "plunge into a world of disposability, disconnection and dysfunction, where relationships to be trusted have been reduced to transactions".

Beatrice treads cautiously about revealing more than she should about the play that opens at the Toy Factory Theatrette from January 12, 2001. She lets spill one more bean - the actors play a junkie and rent boys.

Controversial themes notwithstanding, she promises that with the talented cast of 5 coupled with a "wittily humorous plot", it's enough to spur her to make this production the best one for the audience and herself.

Shopping & F***Ing [RA]
Date: January 12 - 21, 2001
Time: 8 pm
Venue: Toy Factory Theatrette, 17A Smith Street
Tickets: $18 (free seating)
Bookings: Call 222-1526, fax 221-6285 or email toyfactory@mail.com
Note: This English play is not suitable for those below 18 years old.

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