Is there something you know now that you wished you’d known when starting out on your career?
I have gained a great amount of experience and insight from everything I have done. You need those experiences to learn and grow. Without them I don’t think I would be where I am or who I am today.

What design trends do you anticipate seeing more of in 2012?
After several years of fewer and smaller-scale projects, more projects are emerging and a lot of pent up creativity is flowing. Increased optimism seems to be drawing designers to shiny, metallic products and warm berry tones combined with cooler colors like pistachio and taupe. Nontraditional floor plans have become popular, featuring open, flexible layouts and multi-purpose moveable furniture. But I think an interest will also remain on raw, crafted materials.

Do you sense a greater public appreciation for design now?
I think design has always been important in people’s lives. It creates connections and evokes emotional responses. Especially in the last decade, design has become more and more available to the masses. It is no longer fair to assume that only high-end customers appreciate well-designed spaces.

Do you have a pet hate when it comes to a certain element of design?
Poor lighting! Lighting is everything—it shapes the space, has a dramatic impact on atmosphere and perception of space.

Why do you think the W brand generates so much excitement?
The W brand fuses ideas of luxury with the hip and comfortable. Their hotels are not just places where guests sleep but oases, or cities within cities. W is constantly reinventing, modifying and updating to stay relevant.

What are you most excited about with the W Singapore project?
The W Singapore Sentosa Cove will bring a cosmopolitan vibe to a magical tropical setting. We studied Singapore’s traditional floral patterns extensively, particularly the native hibiscus flower. The flower is laser cut in rosewood behind the reception and on floor patterns at the bars and lounges.

I never wanted to be an actress when I was younger. I wanted to be an engineer because it was a cool profession. I still look up to women engineers because they are doing jobs that are supposedly for men.

I was afraid of being tricked when I was first approached by a modeling agent at the age of 14. I went home to consult with my mother who fully supported the idea because she wanted me to become an actress.

As a young girl I was very shy. I was not very good at performing in public. My mom was annoyed by this, so she tricked me into going to many auditions.

It’s destiny that I ended up in the entertainment industry because it wasn’t what I pictured myself doing. It’s just in my nature to do the best that I can, which got me through the auditions and landed me roles as an actress.

I started to enjoy acting more as I made friends in the industry. It’s fun interacting with new people. However, as the years have passed, I have grown to love acting for the art itself.

I love all aspects of my career because everything is interesting, just in different ways. Being a host requires that you think on your feet to creatively solve problems on stage, while being an actress allows you to play a character that is so far removed from who you really are.

Being a judge on a TV talent show is risky on so many levels. People are quick to attack you for your beliefs or for something you say. I just try to speak the truth, because it’s too much trouble having to remember all the lies you’ve told.

I was really pissed off about the bare-breasted painter segment on Thailand’s Got Talent because it was so inappropriate. It’s important that television sets good examples for young kids. We need to make a clearer distinction between what is right and wrong.

In Thai society it is still unacceptable to do many things in public. Unfortunately this applies to women more than men.

People have called me a hypocrite for a photo shoot I did for Image magazine [in which Benz’s naked torso is doused in chocolate], but I’m prepared for any criticism. I understand the consequences of any of my actions.

Thai people don’t like to vote in shows like Thailand’s Got Talent because they don’t want to be seen as fans of this kind of entertainment.

As a judge, I know how important it is to support our rising talent. If we don’t support them then they won’t have the opportunity to develop.

You must adapt to survive. One day you could be a lead actress, then the next day nothing. I eventually want to be a mother, an aunt, even a grandmother, so I need to be ready to adjust to different roles as time passes by.

My mother used to pinch me for ignoring my fans when I was younger. She said I’d be sorry if in the future nobody cared about me anymore.

The media is more than ready to jump on you, but they are just doing their jobs, like we are doing ours. Some people believe it’s better to always be in the news, whether it’s good or bad, because it brings you more fame. I don’t see it that way.

I only cry on stage. I don’t see the point of crying over bad situations, it doesn’t solve anything. I choose to think about the core of a problem, then what I can do to improve the situation. I consider myself the head of a family, so I cannot be weak. I need to stay strong so other people can depend on me.

I want to be a comedy lakorn producer, where everyone can go home with a smile on their face. I think it would be a good career move for me, seeing as I love the industry and taking care of people.

I want to be a housewife at some stage in the future because I enjoy taking care of the people I love. It might sound funny, but I consider it one of the hardest jobs to do.

It really struck me when my dad once said nothing is better than my mom’s cooking. I thought it was super cute and I want someone to say that about me one day.

Do the best that you can in everything you do, regardless of what the outcome might be. When I’m acting, I don’t want to come away thinking that I could have expressed a little more emotion, or I could have done a little bit better. I

What were you doing before this job?
I worked as a traffic conductor and tuk tuk driver in Udon Thani before my brother suggested I join him in selling pla grim kai tao. He taught me all about dessert-making. The first place I worked as a vendor was in Lopburi province. I carried the dessert around on a shoulder pole while shouting down each lane. I sold it for about B2 per cup. I moved around a lot before settling in this part of Bangkok because my pla grim is really popular here.

Where did you get your pla grim kai tao recipe from?
Back in my home community in Udon Thani, everyone makes this dessert. It’s all about getting the pla grim soft and sticky, but not too much. It’s just not tasty if it’s too hard.

What’s your regular day like?
I get up at 3am to prepare the dessert. I separate the pla grim into two portions: one for me to sell and the other for my granddaughter to sell elsewhere. We sell out every day. I’ve never had any dessert left to take home at the end of the day, even though I start with more than 500 cups worth. We have a lot of regular customers.

What’s your income?
It’s not too bad. I earn more than B5,000 a day but have to spend B2,000 on daily supplies, so my profit is around B3,000. The secret to making more profit is being economical and reducing expenses. I always stock up on ingredients from the market, like flour and sugar, and store them at my house. I rent two rooms: one for my family and the other for storage. It’s cheaper to buy in bulk.

Has the job changed?
Nowadays I use tons of sugar. In the past, coconut was five or six baht per kilo, so earning around B400 a day was enough to cover expenses and make a living. But now coconut costs more than B100 per kilo.

How do customers react to your outfit?
They often say I look clean and smart, and that this makes my dessert even more appetizing. Some customers drive up to me and ask whether I get hot dressing this way, but the truth is I’m used to this style. It’s almost to the point where I couldn’t go to work if I wasn’t dressed like this.

Do you get tired walking around in the middle of the day?
It’s tiring, but when I get home and count my earnings, I’m extremely proud of my efforts. I’m proud of being a vendor. But when I get really tired, I take a break, and just send my granddaughter out. That way we can still make a profit of about B400.

Do you have any advice for other vendors?
All vendors have different ways of selling their goods. But I think it’s a waste of time trying to think up marketing gimmicks. I just try to make my pla grim kai tao full-flavored and delicious—and that’s why my customers love it.

What’s the story behind the Obscene series, and particularly “Goddess of Democracy”?
The idea for Obscene stems from when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra came to power. As every Thai knows, she came to power because of her brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, who is still the real PM. The government and its key supporter group, the Red Shirts, have been putting out all sorts of propaganda trying to portray Yingluck as a champion of democracy. The PR machine particularly uses gender as a tool for gaining political popularity and avoiding lawful scrutiny by making her legitimate accusers appear like macho bullies. You might think that having a beautiful woman as Prime Minister would soften political conflict in the country, but for me her female beauty is a cynical disguise for violence. That’s why my “Goddess of Democracy” is armed, to protect her constitution.

Is there any relation between these works and Shakespeare Must Die?
I was director of photography for Shakespeare Must Die, but there’s no direct relation between the film and the exhibition, except both heavily incorporate the color red and use the lighting style of Italian Baroque master painter Caravaggio. I love dramatic expression and composition. Director Ing Kanjanavanit’s choice to use red in the movie is based on all the blood imagery in Macbeth, but my use of red in Obscene is a specific reference to the Yingluck government.

Why red?
It holds so many meanings, depending on your background. Although the red in Obscene is derived from the Red Shirts, the color has broader universal connotations. It can symbolize desire, passion, obsession, vanity and so on.

The themes of sex, politics and heroes are so central to your work. Why?
They’re the three key components of our lives, wouldn’t you agree? I should also add “greed” to that list. Every morning when you read the newspaper, these are the themes that stand out. They drive the world forward, as well as cause untold problems.

Do you think exhibitions such as yours have any influence on politicians, or the general public’s perception of politicians?
Who knows? My intention is to question whether we have a real government that’s working for the poor and under-privileged, as the propaganda says, or if it’s just self-serving. In actuality, are we, rich and poor alike, being exploited by a corrupt billionaire?

Do you have any other projects in the works?
Right now I’m just focused on fighting against the banning of Shakespeare Must Die. We’re preparing our case for the Administrative Court. We’re also working with the Thai Directors’ Association and the iLaw NGO on a Film Law amendment campaign. If we can ban the banning of films then we’ll be much closer to true democracy.

What kind of music background do you have?
I’ve had different phases. I was into ska and reggae at age 13, indie rock in high school and found electronic music when I was in college. I just worked on my laptop and was experimental.

Walk us through the process of recording a new album.
For the latest album, Gossamer, I took 13 months in the studios working with 30 odd synthesizers, and next thing you know, we had 200 tracks. It gets unruly.

How do you feel about music videos?
Generally, it’s just overpriced commercialism. We work with directors already well-known for films. So the videos are intriguing, powerful and unlike the usual glorified commercials.

Do you like performing live?
I’m older now and don’t like the test of touring. That said, Passion Pit tours are communal and participatory, and I like getting a response from the crowd.

Tell us something funny that happened on tour.
We had a humongous United States tour lined up after a visit to the United Kingdom and got a great package transporting our equipment. It turned out to be by ship and not plane. It took three weeks! We almost had to cancel our concerts. But it was funny, just the thought of it moving at a glacial pace across Atlantic.

How do you deal with pressure and the stresses of being on tour?
Sleep. And by spending as much time as possible alone. Touring, you are always with a crowd of people. So I take time, let’s say 3-5pm, where I’m not to talk to anyone. I also meditate and take walks.

Passion Pit is on August 21, 7:30pm at the Esplanade Concert Hall.

What drew you to this production?
I loved the script. It is funny, grotesque and deeply moving—an emotional rollercoaster. I read it on the MRT and got strange looks. My responses varied from laughing out loud to wanting to vomit and tearing up.

What do you identify with in the story?
I connect with being an outsider. I’ve been in Singapore for several years but will never truly be local. Because I'm Caucasian, people label me an expat. But I am on the outside of that community too. I wasn’t brought here by a company on an expat salary. I don’t share that lifestyle.

What was the casting process like?
Open auditions. This allows anyone interested the chance to get seen. Casting Maggie was the hardest. I needed someone who could do both campy drag and be honest and real.

How did the idea of using Circus Swingapore performers come about?
The circus theme jumped out at me. The way the nurses treat Maggie as an animal or a freak show really suggested circus to me. Perhaps it was on the mind since I worked as a director’s assistant on Voyage de la Vie.

What would you like audiences to take away from the performance?
I want them to leave open and accepting, to grant everyone basic respect regardless of sex, race, sexuality, religion or nationality. If Maggie's father could bring himself to accept her, surely there is hope for all of us.

Purple is on August 2-5, 7-12, 14-18, 8pm; 4-5, 11-12, 18, 3pm at Bugis+.
 

What inspired your band name?
Three of us live on Cashew Road, just off Bukit Timah. We've lived there almost all our lives so we believe that the serene environment influenced our sound. We use “Chemists” because growing up together, there's such a deep chemistry among all of us. We also experiment with music like chemists working in a lab.

Why did you trade your heavy metal act for your current pop-rock sounds?
We’ve always listened to softer styles of music. Some members just had to come out of the closet.

How do you come up with original songs?
Our vocalist Yuji Kumagi writes most of the songs with me and we pass them round the group for input. We also have a five-minute rule: If we take longer than five minutes to complete a song, we trash it and start over. The perfect song should flow in seconds.

We hear you have an interesting mantra.
We believe in “the toppermost of the poppermost, if possible”. It means we want our music to reach as many people as possible. We want to share it with the young and old, musicians of different backgrounds, people who don't listen to much music and those who have their ears plugged 24/7.

How did you get your start?
At 16, I began singing in charity shows and at working men's pubs. I was the first woman to sing “Ave Maria” in hot pants at a men's club.

What drew you to this role?
I’ve always loved the story and songs of Annie. Plus, I enjoy every moment of Miss Hannigan as a character. She’s misunderstood. She has taken to the drink because she's lonely and has only orphans for company.

The show debuted in 1977. What accounts for its longevity?
It reflects life today, even with the global financial meltdown and the Wall Street crash. We all live in hope, just like Annie.

How do you feel about performing here?
I’m very excited. I have visited Singapore en route to Australia but working here will be a wonderful new adventure. As we're playing in one location, it won’t be as arduous as working in some countries where we have had to change venues weekly.

How do you keep your energy levels high?
I follow a strict regime that consists of having lots of liquids to keep up my strength.

What's next for you?
I’m doing voiceovers back in the UK, rehearsing my one-woman show, and then performing in a pantomime where I fly as a bad fairy.

Su Pollard stars in Annie July 10-August 5 at the Sands Theater.

Why was this the right moment to stage the musical?
Glen Goei, the director, saw the original in the 1980s. It is fabulous, funny, touching and has something important to say. Our previous attempts to stage it were impacted by SARS and the recession, but this time round, the stars are aligned, and nothing is going to get in our way.

Can you draw any parallels between your life and that of your character Albin/Zaza?
Hair, makeup, feather boas, sequins, high heels, corsets, girdles and diets.

Tell me about your costumes.
Our costume designer Frederick Lee created an entire wardrobe of couture gowns. Hand-finished with sequins, crystals, mirrors, feathers and fur, they each weigh up to 15kg. They are ingeniously cut and proportioned to give Zaza a va-va-voom hour-glass figure.

If you had to pick another role to play in the show, what would it be?
Hossan Leong’s. He plays Jacob, who is Albin’s “personal handmaiden”. He wants so much to be in show business, he tries on Zaza’s gowns when Albin’s not looking. It’s a screamingly funny role with a lot of heart.

Do you have a favorite song from the show?
“I Am What I Am”. It’s an anthem for anyone who has ever felt different, looked down upon or discriminated against. It reminds us all to live life on our own terms because to quote the song, “Life’s not worth a damn, till you can say, ‘Hey world! I am what I am!’”.

Ivan Heng will perform in La Cage Aux Folles on July 20, 23-27, 8pm; 21-22, 28-29, 3pm; July 30-August 3, 8; Aug 4, 3pm at the Esplanade Theatre.
 

I like singing… Tom Jones in the shower.

If I were an animal, I'd be a... lion. They’re the king of the jungle!

When I was young, I wanted to… be musicians.

The biggest challenge in spinning a mix is… defining what the crowd likes.

I get bored… on flights.

Music gives me… life.

My worst habit is… sleeping.

The most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done is… fall asleep at an airport gate after a show and missed my flight home.

If I had a million dollars… I’d give more to charities worldwide.

We love… Trance Family.

Any special remixes or exclusives for Zouk punters… we’ve some new material from our upcoming album, Quiet Storm!

Aly & Fila spin July 14 at Zouk.