Since childhood, Brian has been collecting (portrait) photographs of film and theatre actors and dancers. A collection that started with pictures in scrapbooks and has grown into an extensive collection of photo books and digital photos. His interests in portrait photography, theatre and London come together in Simon Annand's photobook The Half, Photographs of Actors Preparing for the Stage. Annand has sharply and beautifully captured what goes through actors' minds and bodies thirty minutes before curtain-up. The diversity of individuals and ways they prepare is fascinating. From hushed, concentrated individuals to relaxed card-playing groups. The photographs provide a historical glimpse into the London theatre scene between 1984 and 2009. You can tell by the number of cigarettes! One of the photos that brings back fond memories for Brian is that of Cate Blanchett (with cigarette) from 1999. At the time, he was studying musical theatre writing in London and attended David Hare's play Plenty at the Albery Theatre, where he also met her. In the picture, Blanchett, staring silently at her extinguished cigarette, prepares for her role as Susan Traherne.

The portraits are important places of remembrance for Brian. Page 141 of The Half, for instance, depicts Hugh Quarshie, thirty minutes before he goes on as a boxer in Great White Hope. Not this performance but the actor Quarshie takes Brian back to the moment he first saw him as Marc Anthony in Julius Ceasar. For Brian, this was the first time he saw a black actor play in the Royal Shakespeare Company and he realised that theatre is for him too. His love for theatre began in London because of the multi-faceted way of storytelling and the diversity of both crew and audience. In The Half, this versatility is reflected in the multitude of locations, genres and young actors depicted with now established names. The book breathes theatre history and is lovely to flip through and dream away at. 

Brian Lo Sin Sjoe is artistic director of the Opleiding Productie Podiumkunsten