Whenever I can, I get my culinary kicks watching BBC’s Saturday Kitchen, either live or the ‘Best Bites’ – a selection of the best bits of the show hosted by popular TV chef James Martin. With 3.5million watching, I’m not alone, but I’m probably the only one to have my original 4B pencil sketch signed by him.
Martin Clunes plays one of my favourite TV characters in Doc Martin, the successful vascular surgeon who develops haemophobia (fear of blood) forcing him to stop practicing surgery. He obtains a GP position in the sleepy Cornish village of Portwenn.
He won a BAFTA TV award playing Gary Strang in the British sitcom Men Behaving Badly alongside Neil Morrissey who played Tony Smart, Leslie Ash and Caroline Quentin.
The beer-swilling, burping, foul-mouthed house mates Tony and Gary reunited for the first time in fifteen years this month as part of a night to raise funds for testicular cancer research in a one off comedy skit “Feeling Nuts”.
He was a really nice guy to meet and happily signed my sketch after the London premiere of Nativity 3: Dude Where’s My Donkey?!, at the Vue in Leicester Square on Sunday. I asked Martin what he was working on and he said “Arthur and George,” a three part TV adaption of Julian Barnes novel of the same title, based on an intriguing series of genuine events in the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the celebrated novelist and physician who created Sherlock Holmes.
By the way, ‘Doc’ Martin actually has a doctorate – an honorary one from Bournemouth University.
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice‘s classic 1978 musical Evita made a brief return to London’s West End for a seven week run at the refurbished Dominion Theatre.
Talented newcomer, Portuguese actress Madalena Alberto played the Argentine political phenomenon Eva Peron. The role has propelled numerous unknown actresses into star players – such as Patti LuPone and Elaine Paige in the original West End and Broadway productions respectively. Critic Mark Shenton acknowledged he used the oldest cliché in showbiz -“a star is born”- writing about the “stunning vocalist”. She previously played Fantine in the 25th Anniversary production of Les Misérables.
Musical Theatre and pop icon Marti Pellow played the Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara, the narrator who cynically assesses the hysterical grief that gripped Argentina when Evita died.
Ben Forster shot to fame after winning ITV’s Superstar competition in 2012, playing the title role in the revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar in its Arena Tour.
He has just completed a short run of another Lord Webber and Tim Rice musical, Evita, at the Dominion Theatre in London. The multi award winning musical charts the life of Eva Peron, the former wife of Argentine dictator Juan Peron and her rise to power.
Ben guest starred in the role of Agustin Magaldi, Eva Peron’s first love, when the production did 55 performances at the refurbished Dominion Theatre following a UK Tour. The final performance was on Saturday evening (1 November 2014).
Peter Morgan’s The Audience premiered in the West End at the Gilegud Theatre on 15 February 2013, directed by Stephen Daldry. The play centres around weekly meetings called ‘audiences’ between the Queen anad her prime ministers, from her accession in 1952 to the present. Helen Mirren won the Olivier, Evening Standard and WhatsOnStage awards for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II.
Originally playing the role of Winston Churchill was Robert Hardy, but he withdrew before Press night, due to a fall cracking his ribs, and was replaced by Edward Fox.
Winner of two BAFTA Awards in The Go-Between (1970) and A Bridge Too Far (1977), Edward’s distinguished acting career dates back to his stage debut in 1958 and his first film appearance was as an extra in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962).
Arguably his defining role was the silent assassin in Fred Zinnemann’s 1973 thriller The Day Of The Jackal.
This a a 4B pencil portrait of Edward in his Churchillian pose, which he signed for me at a crowded stage door early in the run.
ChicanePictures 