It is the 26th, I am finally done with my Masters in Fine Arts degree. Alhamdulillah.

There had been so many things that happened in the duration of time which I did not update my bloc. Seemed it was just last week that I was in Europe and now, I'm entering my final MONTH in Edinburgh. I have mixed emotions about it.

The past two years had been great and had given me the opportunity to know myself better and do the things I longed to do.

I am lucky as well to be designing two Fringe shows, one is Tristan and Mr Poppins by Nozomi Abe (Costume and Make up) and second is Tenko (Make-up).

I had helluva good time doing these two shows and I had met so many wonderful people who share the same passion as I do.

For Tristan and Mr Poppins, the production was a process that had been started in April where I actually volunteered to do the costumes and make up for Nozomi. We somehow had same perspectives in terms of style and design. She liked my interpretations of the characters as well. I was lucky to get Nazli Tabatabai as the director of the play.

It was a new play and we started of fresh with no preset ideas on anything, it just developed as it went on (I would update my Photopage for pics of the productions soon). The team effort showed by all of us in the production was just incredible and I was so happy to work with fine actors like Pabs Robert, Russel Loten and Sian Mannifield. I feel great that i had helped them getting into character with the costumes and make up I provided, and I still feel like I am dreaming that I am part of an International Festival (we even got a 3 start review from the Scotsman). My love goes to all of you guys and the friendship we built during the production is cherished forever. I am hoping to do more of this in future.

Tristan and Mr Poppins

ANNA MILLAR

PEND FRINGE @ GATEWAY (Venue 7)

THERE is something rather lovely about Nozomi Abe’s Tristan & Mr Poppins. Two men meet on a street in the middle of winter. They start a conversation about a large white box nearby, while Jessica, who is sometimes visible and sometimes invisible, looks on. A stark look at absurdity and truth, there are some well-placed odes to Samuel Beckett throughout the piece. Like Beckett, the meaning behind Tristan is indecipherable and the characters placed within it are seemingly without purpose. They are at once baffled, anxious and obscurely threatened. The backdrop for the piece is wonderfully serene, adding an air of untapped mysticism to proceedings. Borne from the traditions of lyrical theatre it uses abstract scenic effects, many of which have been taken over and modified from the popular theatre arts. Indeed, much of its inspiration comes from silent film and comedy. Sound performances from the three leads, Pab Roberts, Russell Loten and Sian Mannifield, make this solid, considered theatre for those looking for something a little left of centre.

Until 21 August.

As for Tenko!, I hoped on the bandwagon as I was preparing for Poppins. JC approached me to do the make up, I was at first a bit hesitant but I ended up doing it, and did not have any regrets doing so. It gave me the opportunity to work on my make-up skills that I picked up when I did the workshops at Charles Fox of Covent Garden last month.

The run for Tenko! is on at the moment, I am actually at the moment waiting for them to finish as I have to get the mingin' scabs off the actresses.

Would update some more tomorrow night tho.

Anyway, would have to start packing and buy stuff to send back to Malaysia. I am quite nervous waiting for my results as well that would be released in about two weeks.

Hope everything would turn on fine for me InsyaAllah.