Weekend Deviation – 1930s Recreations

Posted: January 8th, 2011 | No Comments »

Mentioning DJ Taylor’s study of the excesses of the wealthy in the wake of the Great War, Bright Young People, yesterday reminded me that I really reckon his recently published novel At the Chime of a City Clock is worth a mention. The cast of characters and 1931 period setting reflect directly a lot of the research Taylor got while doing Bright Young People and, clearly, his earlier biography of Orwell as well as, I’ll bet, a penchant for period writers such as Patrick Hamilton, Waugh and Greene. None of this is a problem for me and I devoured At the Chime of a City Clock largely forgetting Taylor had written it in the 21st century. Hopefully he’ll churn out more – it’s his best novel so far by far. As usual blurb below.

Summer 1931 in seedy Bayswater and James Ross is on his uppers. An aspiring writer whose stories nobody will buy (‘It’s the slump’), with a landlady harassing him for unpaid rent and occasional sleepless nights spent in the waiting room at King’s Cross Station, he is reduced to selling carpet-cleaning lotion door-to-door. His prospects brighten when he meets the glamorous Suzi (‘the red hair and the tight jumper weren’t a false card: she really was a looker and no mistake’), but their relationship turns out to be a source of increasing bafflement. Who is her boss, the mysterious Mr Rasmussen – whose face bears a startling resemblance to one of the portraits in “Police News” – and why is he so interested in the abandoned premises above the Cornhill jeweller’s shop? Worse, mysterious Mr Haversham from West End Central is starting to take an interest in his affairs. With a brief to keep an eye on Schmiegelow, James finds himself staying incognito at a grand Society weekend at a country house in Sussex, where the truth – about Suzi and her devious employer – comes as an unexpected shock. Set against a backdrop of the 1931 financial crisis and the abandonment of the Gold Standard, acted out in shabby bed-sitters and Lyons tea-shops, “At the Chime of a City Clock” is an authentic slice of Thirties comedy-noir.

Limehouse, Dope, Bright Young Things and Sax Rohmer

Posted: January 7th, 2011 | No Comments »

Most people know Sax Rohmer (left) for his Fu Manchu Yellow Peril novels which were made into numerous B movies in Britain and America. He’s definitely out of fashion these days and seen as hopelessly politically incorrect, not without reason. Still, I recently downloaded and read a copy of Rohmer’s 1919 novel Dope: A Story of Chinatown (it’s now more often titled ‘A True Story of Drug Trafficking’ – there’s a nice cheap Kindle edition here but if you don’t mind some scrappy text there are free downloads around on the Internet – it’s long out of copyright). It’s not a Fu Manchu novel, but the first book featuring another of Rohmer’s serial characters, Chief Inspector Red Kerry – tough, precise, heading home to his loving and clairvoyant wife in Brixton at the end of a case and fiercely Catholic for some reason!

Dope is actually a pretty good read (though there’s plenty of racial stereotyping and Chinese devilness in Limehouse too) but I think it does actually chime in quite nicely with a lot of the atmosphere around London’s West End at the time that is covered in far more recent non-fiction books such as Marek Kohn’s Dope Girls: The Birth of the British Drug Underground and DJ Taylor’sÂ Bright Young People: The Rise and Fall of a Generation 1918-1940 (which I just read by the way). Coming in 1919, really before the whole post Great War flapper/slapper/dope and debauch thing really got going I personally found Dope quite prescient in parts where Rohmer describes the West End swells taste for drugs. However, his Limehouse is still over-exoticised – trap doors and underground opium lairs are a bit excitable! Btu for a flavour of the time and one of the first anti-opium, blame it on the Chinese in the East End screeds this is worth a read.

Ai Wei Wei at Tate Modern

Posted: January 6th, 2011 | No Comments »

As I was in London just before Christmas a visit to Ai Wei Wei’s Unilever Series exhibition at Tate Modern was essential. It’s a strange installation – millions of small porcelain sun flower seeds, each apparently identical, but actually unique spread across the floor of the basement of the former Bankside Power Station. Yet they are weirdly compelling and you find yourself wanting to reach in and touch them (which apparently you could when it was first installed). Personally the fact that each seed is handmade did make me ponder the whole race to the bottom and craft destruction of the Made in China years, which apparently was partly the point. Here’s the blurb:

Each seed has been individually sculpted and painted by specialists working in small-scale workshops in the Chinese city of Jingdezhen. Far from being industrially produced, they are the effort of hundreds of skilled hands. Poured into the interior of the Turbine Hallâ€™s vast industrial space, the 100 million seeds form a seemingly infinite landscape.

Porcelain is almost synonymous with China and, to make this work, Ai Weiwei has manipulated traditional methods of crafting what has historically been one of Chinaâ€™s most prized exports. Sunflower Seeds invites us to look more closely at the â€˜Made in Chinaâ€™ phenomenon and the geo-politics of cultural and economic exchange today.

And some better photos here – it’s installed at Tate Modern till May 2011

RAS Shanghai This Saturday – British and European influences on the development of modern Chinese university education 1850-1950

Posted: January 5th, 2011 | No Comments »

Professor Ian Gow OBE MA PhD FRSA

British and European influences on the development of modern Chinese university education 1850-1950

Despite its tremendous achievements in higher learning and scholarship the Chinese did not develop institutions recognizable as universities until the 1890s, with the establishment of the Imperial University (Peking University). Â However western missionaries, catholic and protestant, did develop colleges and universities in China in the second half of the 19^th century. Many of the major contributions were from American missionaries and their churches but British and European missionaries made significant contributions. This talk will focus particularly on British and European initiatives, evaluate their contribution to the development of university education in modern China and trace their developments until the last of them were absorbedÂ into the Chinese higher education systemÂ after 1950.

Professor Ian Gow is Executive President of the Sino-British University College in Shanghai – a major joint venture between nine UK universities and the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology.Â HeÂ was the Founding Provost of Chinaâ€™s first independent foreign university campus since the reopening of China, the multi-award winning University of Nottingham, Ningbo. Professor Gow has held numerous senior executive positions inÂ UKÂ higher education and has served as aÂ Vice President (pro-Vice Chancellor) of four UK universities (Stirling, Sheffield, Nottingham and the West of England).Â He was awarded the OBE for his services to UK Higher Education in China and also holds awards from Ningbo City and Zhejiang Provincial Government for his contributions in education.Â He is an internationally recognized East Asia specialist with a PhD in Japanese StudiesÂ and has published extensively on Japanese politics and international relations.

Saturday 8^th January, 2011 at 4.00 p.m.

T8 Club Lounge

No.8 Xintiandi North Part Lane 181 Taicang Road Shanghai

ENTRANCE: RMB 80.00 Members RMB 120.00 Non Members â€“ including one drink (tea/coffee/glass of wine/standard cocktail).

Membership applications and renewals will be available on the afternoon. Those unable to make the donation but wishing to attend may contact us for exemption.

RSVP: to RAS Enquiry desk enquiry@royalasiaticsociety.org.cn

Shanghai: A History in Photographs, 1842-Today

Posted: January 4th, 2011 | No Comments »

Though it came out briefly to coincide with the EXPO this collection of beautiful pictures trace the history of Shanghai to the present day – of course it’s the older stuff that interests me and while there are many old familiars among the images there are some startling new ones too. I confess an interest as I was asked to contribute a foreword to the book which I think is quite good (even if I do say so myself!). Anyway, now EXPO is over the book is more widely available via bookshops and the usual channels now or from Penguin here.

Beijing International New Short Play Festival – Jan 6-16

Posted: January 3rd, 2011 | No Comments »

I met the young women who organise this event the other week and they’re really keen and doing a good thing but the Festival has a relatively low profile – hopefully this post adds to awareness a little.

BINSPF

Beijing International New Short Play Festival

2011 edition: Fish out of Water

JAN 6-16 (Thurs-Sun)

7:30pm

PENGHAO THEATRE

BEIJING, Dec. 15, 2010 â€“ With the Year of the Rabbit bouncing into view, BITEâ€™s 3^rd Annual Beijing International New Short Play Festival is in the starting blocks!

The theme of this year’s festival is â€œFish Out of Waterâ€â€” funny and touching stories about the disorientation, and the comedy, that is inevitably generated when people try to come to terms with a culture different from their own.

A number of the plays in the festival are about foreigners trying to come to terms with life in China, but there is also a love story inspired by Mark Twain, a bunch of people trapped on a train, a melodramatic South American mediumâ€¦ and some great songs. BINSPF Festival Director Anna Grace says: â€œMost of these stories are about life as it is really lived in Beijing. I was amazed by the response we had when we sent out our call for plays. We had 24 submissions and have chosen 16 terrific new plays, including one play written in Chinese and another by a 15 year-old Pakistani schoolboy who has been living in China for just five months.â€

This yearâ€™s festival, which opens January 6, will run over eight nights until January 16 and will see 15 directors, 12 playwrights and dozens of actors compete for attention on the blackbox stage at Peng Hao Theatre, located in the hutong area off trendy Nanluoguxiang shopping district.

With Graceâ€™s impulsion, the BINSPF Festival has grown in leaps and bounds over the past three years. There were just six plays in the first short play festival in May 2009, staged over two days. The following year featured eight original plays plus a musical. This yearâ€™s edition has doubled to 16 plays, including three musicals.

BINSPF Marketing Director Daniel Cotterall says: â€œThere will be different plays on different nightsâ€¦ with some real jewels among them. And, whatâ€™s more, theyâ€™re home-grown jewels!â€ BINSPF is a theatre festival of Beijingers, by Beijingers, and for Beijingers!â€

Awards will be given for â€œBest of the Festâ€ with prizes in acting, directing, and writing. Audiences and judges will decide the winners and a ceremony will be held on the last day of the festival.

Faithful to its customer-friendly policy, BITE will be offering a festival pass at a very modest 100 RMB for those who book in advance, or 80 RMB for students. The pass gives theatregoers entrance on three different evenings so that they can sample a wide a range of plays. Those who wish to enjoy only one evening of entertainment, tickets are only 50RMB and 30RMB for students.

For more information about the Festival, visit www.bitebeijing.com, email beijingtheatre@gmail.com, or call 136 2123 8655

For tickets, call Samantha 135 2045 0019

BINSPF in the news: http://beijing.globaltimes.cn/culture/2010-11/596589.html

FESTIVAL LINE UP:

Thurs, Jan 6 at 7:30pm

Causing a Commotion written and directed by Luciana B Veit–Preparing for guests can prove exhausting for a quiet coupleâ€¦

Rainbow Carp written by Ben Thompson, directed by Olga Gorshkova–Two foreigners meet in Beijing over steamed fishâ€¦

Charles Atlas’ Miracle System written by David Jacobi, directed by Anna Chonavec–A boy confuses self-improvement with fantasies of revengeâ€¦

Ni Fa Feng Le Ma? Written and directed by Hugh Reed–Scottish rock legend Hugh Reed brings his unique one man show to life on the Beijing stage…

The Diaries of Adam & Eve: The Musical original stage adaptation written by Anna Grace, translated by Gloria Su and Tao, directed by Anna Grace and Tao–Mark Twain gives voice to the â€œfirst coupleâ€ in a new musical version of the original love storyâ€¦

Fri, Jan 7 at 7:30pm

The Trial written and directed by Gabriel Rodriguez Rico–One head is better than four in this exploration of love and lossâ€¦

Camping Day written by Jorge Rios, directed by David Jacobi–A â€œtypicalâ€ married couple have a lark in the woodsâ€¦

The Chameleon written by Ali Ahmed, directed by David Jacobi–Passengers trapped on a train must either condemn or absolve a criminalâ€¦

Linda’s Graduation written by Luciana B Veit, directed by Kirsten Klistch–Linda has just graduated from charm school and is on the lookout for a matchâ€¦

Sat, Jan 8 at 7:30pm

Causing a Commotion written and directed by Luciana B Veit–Preparing for guests can prove exhausting for a quiet coupleâ€¦

Rainbow Carp written by Ben Thompson, directed by Olga Gorshkova–Two foreigners meet in Beijing over steamed fishâ€¦

Charles Atlas’ Miracle System written by David Jacobi, directed by Anna Chonavec–A boy confuses self-improvement with fantasies of revengeâ€¦

Ni Fa Feng Le Ma? Written and directed by Hugh Reed–Scottish rock legend Hugh Reed brings his unique one man show to life on the Beijing stage…

Sun, Jan 9 at 7:30pm

The Trial written and directed by Gabriel Rodriguez Rico–One head is better than four in this exploration of love and lossâ€¦

Camping Day written by Jorge Rios, directed by David Jacobi–A â€œtypicalâ€ married couple have a lark in the woodsâ€¦

The Chameleon written by Ali Ahmed, directed by David Jacobi–Passengers trapped on a train must either condemn or absolve a criminalâ€¦

Linda’s Graduation written by Luciana B Veit, directed by Kirsten Klistch–Linda has just graduated from charm school and is on the lookout for a matchâ€¦

Thurs, Jan 13 at 7:30pm

Cast Out written and directed by Luciana B. Veit–Unable to decide if his wife is crazy or possessed, her husband calls in a psychotherapist and a mediumâ€¦

Struggle written and directed by Yu Gui Feng–A tragic accident becomes an opportunity for strength and courageâ€¦

Weekly Acid Test written by Gabriel Rodriguez Rico, directed by Dawn Estes–Surveys can reveal more about the surveyor than the surveyedâ€¦

RENT a White Guy: The Musical written by Anna Grace, directed by Anna Grace and Andrew Delo–Cult Musical TV show â€œGleeâ€ meets Beijing in this story of fame, fortune, and failure in the Far Eastâ€¦

Fri, Jan 14 at 7:30pm

The Date written and directed by Elizabeth Ashforth–In the dating game, you just canâ€™t rely on gossipâ€¦

More or Less written by Daniel Cotterall, Cyril Cotterall, and Gloria Su, directed by Gloria Su–A man’s logic comes up against something more powerful, the mind of womanâ€¦

Jenny and Xiao Han written by David Jacobi, directed by Anna Chovanec–Stuck in a Beijing prison (their bedroom), two children learn to hate and trust each otherâ€¦

Sat, Jan 15 at 7:30pm

Cast Out written and directed by Luciana B. Veit–Unable to decide if his wife is crazy or possessed, her husband calls in a psychotherapist and a mediumâ€¦

Struggle written and directed by Yu Gui Feng–A tragic accident becomes an opportunity for strength and courageâ€¦

Weekly Acid Test written by Gabriel Rodriguez Rico, directed by Dawn Estes–Surveys can reveal more about the surveyor than the surveyedâ€¦

Sun, Jan 16 at 7:30pm

The Date written and directed by Elizabeth Ashforth–In the dating game, you just canâ€™t rely on gossipâ€¦

More or Less written by Daniel Cotterall, Cyril Cotterall, and Gloria Su, directed by Gloria Su–A man’s logic comes up against something more powerful, the mind of womanâ€¦

Jenny and Xiao Han written by David Jacobi, directed by Anna Chovanec–Stuck in a Beijing prison (their bedroom), two children learn to hate and trust each otherâ€¦

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!!

13520450019

beijingtheatre@gmail.com

www. bitebeijing.com

Peking 1920s Films – the MacMurray Files

Posted: January 3rd, 2011 | No Comments »

The other day I noted a embroidered memorial to the British Legation Guards in Peking for 1925-1926 – it’s a fairly haunting little piece of old Peking memorabilia as if features an old black and white photo of one of the guards for some reason I don’t know (random choice, made by a family member, the lad died in Peking????). Anyway, I’ll research it obviously. But it is interesting to try and see Peking as they would have seen the city – boys out from England on Legation protection duty in a China of the 1920s. Fortunately we do have access to John van Antwerp MacMurray Papers and films, now housed at Princeton.

MacMurray was the American Minister (or Ambassador) to China for 1925-1929 and an early advocate of making moving pictures – he shot rather a lot of images of his time in China thankfully. Some of it is fairly routine stuff – or at least would have been to MacMurray – dignitaries arriving, soldiers drilling etc. The films are now loaded up on to YouTube (here – watch the first and you’ll see links to the other footage down the right hand side of the screen) and provide a great set of images of Peking at the time my British Legation Guards were there – i.e. we see the city through the same eyes as them.

A quite remarkable archive of old Peking in the 1920s.

Weekend Deviation – 1950s Glasgow Noir

Posted: January 2nd, 2011 | No Comments »

Never was there a city more suited to the noir genre than Glasgow! Yet, it’s not been the subject of that much noir writing traditionally. It’s been a while since I’ve recommended a crime writer here so I’ll plug the two Lennox novels by Craig Russell (here and here) – I just scoffed them both down over the holidays and they left a suitably bad Weegie madness taste! Early 1950s Glasgow is well done – decades before Glasgow Smiles Better and Years of Culture, pre-high rise flats and pre the Clean Air Act. Still, the Glaswegian gangsters are tough, the hardmen hard and the Glasgow girls gorgeous but with a bad dose of ‘Gorbals gob’! Well worth a read and hopefully they’ll be more in the series. Blurbs below as usual.

Glasgow, 1953: the war may be over but the battle for the streets is just beginning. Three crime bosses control the murky streets, but a small-scale con is trying to invade their territory. The balance is shifting. Lennox, a hard man in a hard city at a hard time, finds himself caught in the middle – a dangerous place to be. One night, a body is discovered on the road, his head mashed to pulp, and Lennox is in the frame for murder. The only way of proving his innocence is to solve the crime – but he’ll have to dodge men more deadly than Glasgow’s crime bosses before he gets any answers.

And the second one – The Long Glasgow Kiss:

Glasgow in the 1950s – not somewhere you’d choose to be unless you were born to it. Yet Lennox, a private investigator, finds it oddly congenial. Lennox is a man balanced between the law and those who break it – a dangerous place where only the toughest and most ruthless survive. Glasgow bookie and greyhound breeder, Jimmy ‘Small Change’ MacFarlane, runs one of the biggest operations at Glasgow’s dog-racing track. When MacFarlane is bludgeoned to death with a bronze statue of Danny Boy, his best racer, Lennox has a solid gold alibi – he had spent the night with MacFarlane’s daughter. Lennox is quickly drawn into hunting MacFarlane’s killer, where he soon discovers that ‘Small Change’ was into a lot more than dog racing. Worse, crime boss Willie Sneddon, one of Glasgow’s notorious Three Kings, is clearly involved and he’s not a man Lennox wants to cross. But somewhere out there in the shadows lurks a really big player, an elusive villain who makes the Three Kings look like minnows. Lennox is the only man who can track him down.

China Rhyming

A gallimaufry of random China history and research interests