British actress Laura Dos Santos’ big break came with the title role in Willy Russell’s EDUCATING RITA at the Menier Chocolate Factory,winning her a nomination for the Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards in 2010. She continued the part at the Trafalgar Studios. Her second major West End role was in Max Stafford-Clark’s revival of OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD at the St James theatre in March 2013.
Three Days in May is Ben Brown’s gripping and fascinating portrayal of the three most pivotal days in British history when giving in to Hitler was considered. In the late spring of 1940 when the new PM, Winston Churchill was wrestling with a divided war cabinet in which Lord Halifax and Neville Chamberlain seemed to favour negotiated peace – “jaw-jaw instead of war-war” as Churchill put it.
After a national tour, it arrived at London’s Trafalgar Studios in the spring of 2012. The three principals – Warren Clarke (Churchill), Jeremy Clyde (Halifax) and Robert Demeger (Chamberlain) signed my sketch instead of a peace treaty with Nazi Germany…
Italian-born Australian actress, Greta Scacchi is fluent in English, French, Italian and German which has been the foundation for a versatile career on both screen and stage. She won an Emmy in 1996 for her portrayal of the Russian Princess Alexandra in RASPUTIN: DARK SERVANT OF DESTINY. In May 2011 Greta appeared with Anita Dobson in the play BETTE AND JOAN at the Arts Theatre in London. She signed this sketch on Opening Night.
English actress Felicity Jones’ latest role is the heroine in THE INVISIBLE WOMAN, the biopic of Charles Dickens. Directed by Ralph Fiennes,who also plays the renowned English writer, the film follows his relationship with 18 year old actress Nelly Ternan, while still married with nine children. Felicity’s acting career is far from invisible, dividing her time equally between stage and screen with equal aplomb. Her last performance on the boards was in Mike Poulton’s new version of Friedrich Schiller’s LUISE MILLER at the Donmar, which critics referred to as ‘the Felicity Jones phenomenon.’ After delivering the final ‘unbearable’ moments, she was still able to sign my sketch as she left the theatre in July 2011.
Oscar winner Estelle Parsons made her West End debut at the age of 82, playing the comical Dutch psychic Helga ten Dorp in the revival of Ira Levin’s Deathtrap at the Noël Coward Theatre in August 2010, following two years in Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County on Broadway and a US tour.
Estelle had worked on the London stage almost thirty years before when she bought her acclaimed off-Broadway Miss Margarida’s Way to the Hampstead Theatre in North London. She has received four Tony nominations, including one for her one woman show Margaridas.
Estelle signed both my biro line sketches – one as Miss Margarida – at the Music Box Theatre in New York in August 2008 during Osage County’s run.
Both Keeley Hawes and her husband Matthew Macfadyen appeared in the West End at the same time… but two blocks apart. Matthew is still currently playing the dutiful valet, Jeeves in PG Wodehouse’s Jeeves and Wooster: Perfect Nonsense, at the Duke of York’s while Keeley finished her run at Wyndham’s as Chrissie Packer in Clive Exton’s comedy Barking in Essex.
Keeley’s memorable TV roles include Zoe Reynolds in Spooks, Alex Drake in Ashes to Ashes and Kathy Butler in Tipping the Velvet. She is also the voice of the iconic Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider video games.
Both Keeley and Matthew are Patrons of CHASE, hospice care for children.
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