Drawing: Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The spectacular musical version of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had its World Premiere at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in June 2013. Directed by Academy Award Winner and Bond director Sam Mendes, this deliciously dark tale stars Douglas Hodge as the eccentric factory owner. Just returned from playing Cyrano de Bergerac at the Roundabout Theater on Broadway, Douglas won the Tony Award in 2010 for La Cage aux Folles at the Longacre Theatre.

The previous year he collected the Olivier Award for the same role which played on the West End at the Playhouse Theatre before transferring to New York.

He has also released two albums of his own compositions and has written a musical Aschlin Ditta. Douglas gladly signed my sketch at the stage door prior to yesterday’s matinée.

Drawing: James Purefoy and Sienna Miller in Flare Path

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sir Trevor Nunn’s emotionally resonant revival of Terrance Rattigan’s wartime drama FLARE PATH played the Theatre Royal Haymarket during the spring of 2011. It was part of the author’s centenary tribute. Written in 1941 and staged a year later,the play is based on his own experiences as a tail-gunner in the RAF coastal command. It is a love triangle,set in the lounge of a Lincolnshire hotel where bomber pilots,stationed at the nearby airbase stay with conjugal guests. Sienna Miller returned to the West End to play Patricia Graham, an actress torn between her pilot husband,Teddy (Harry Haddon-Paton) and Peter Kyle, (James Purefoy) her movie star lover. The production was a huge success and was extended due to popular demand. Critics called it “richly entertaining and beautifully judged revival of this theatrical rarity”…”a deeply moving portrayal of people at war”, said The Guardian’s Michael Billington. I managed to manoeuvre my way around the predatory packs of paps one April evening to ask Sienna to sign my sketch at the stage door. It was more a matter of ‘fright flare’ from all the flash bulbs going off! In fact, the illumination was so intense,she had to wait in between flashes to see the drawing which washed out under the brightness. James was a little easier. He and his dog emerged later to a much more sedate reception and happily signed.

Drawing: Sir Murray Halberg

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sir Murray Halberg is one of New Zealand’s greatest athletes. After a rugby injury left his arm severely withered, he took up running, motivated by his disability. In the 1950s he teamed up with the legendary Arthur Lydiad who had new ideas about athletics training. Sir Murray went on to win the 3 miles gold medal at the 1958 Cardiff Empire and Commonwealth Games, and became New Zealand’s first sub-four minute miler.

Two years later in Rome he won Olympic gold in the 5000 metres on the same day fellow Kiwi, Peter Snell, claimed the 800m title. He successfully defended his 3 mile title at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth.

After retiring from athletics, Sir Murray founded the Halberg Trust to support children with disabilities to be active in sport, creation and leisure. It was rebranded in 2012 and is now known as the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation.

Sir Murray signed my sketch at the Halberg Trust Celebrity Sporting Luncheon at Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill, New Zealand in October 2002.

Animation: The Fish and The Factory

Posted on September 1, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The Fish and The Factory is a short animated film I made in 1992. It’s an ‘environmental fable’ about the grim relationship between a fish and a polluting factory that dumps its toxic waste into a river. The idea came to me while sitting through endless hours of resource consents submissions as a Southland Regional Council member in New Zealand (now known as Environment Southland).

It won the Chris Award at the 40th Columbus Film Festival in Ohio in 1992 and was selected for a number of film competitions world wide.