Drawing: Nina Toussaint-White

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

nina-t-w

Nina Toussaint-White romps about the West End boards as Jane, the favoured prostitute in THE LIBERTINE, the bawdy 17th century tale of the Earl of Rochester (Dominic Cooper) currently playing the Theatre Royal Haymarket.
She made her professional debut in 2007 in an episode of CASUALTY, then THE BILL before securing regular and recurring roles in the soap EASTENDERS as the straight-talking Nurse Syd Chambers and Angie Bailey in EMMERDALE. She has also appeared in HOLBY CITY and DOCTOR WHO among others. Nina’s last stage appearance as Tree in the Theatre Royal Stratford East’s production of THE ETIENNE SISTERS garnered Nina a nomination for Best Performance in a Musical in this year’s UK Theatre Awards.

On Saturday, while a passing, annoying Autumn shower threatened to dampen my mission, I interrupted her fast trek to the stage door. Between us we managed to balance her cooling cup of coffee, my broken umbrella, the artwork and a sharpie, all of which were co-ordinated sufficiently to get the said rendering signed with only minor rain-drop impressions.

Drawing: Lizzie Roper in The Libertine

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

lizzie-roper

Equally at home in stand-up, comedy and straight theatre on stage and screen for the past 25 years, the always popular Lizzie Roper is part of an impressive ensemble in the romping period piece, THE LIBERTINE at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket.

When not appearing in sold out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe, Lizzie has put in shifts on all the British small screen ‘biggies’, CORONATION STREET, WATERLOO RD, SHAMELESS, HOLBY CITY, THE BILL and being killed off in HOLLYOAKS, after playing Sam Lomax for over a year as well as appearing on London stages in plays such as ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST with Christian Slater at The Garrick in 2006 and THE ODD COUPLE in Edinburgh, opposite Alan Davies and Bill Bailey a year earlier.

In THE LIBERTINE Lizze plays four roles in this ‘delightful naughtiness’, including Big Dolly who is ‘enthusiastically rogered’ on a balcony by King Charles. For her solo show PICCADILLO CIRCUS, which she performed at the EdFringe, the Trafalgar Studios in London and as part of a National Tour, Lizzie researched and interviewed members of the public about their sex lives, which may have come in handy for her participation in LIBERTINE.

It was great to meet Lizzie on Saturday at the stage door to get this drawing signed.

Drawing: Dominic Cooper in The Libertine

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

dominic-cooper

Described as one of Britain’s more eclectic actors, Dominic Cooper returns to the London stage as the legendary 17th Century poet and Restoration rebel the John Wilmot who’s appetite for excess is chronicled in the revival of Stephen Jeffrey’s THE LIBERTINE at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Last seen seven years ago at the National Theatre in PHEDRE, opposite Helen Mirren, where he also played Dakin in Alan Bennett’s THE HISTORY BOYS at the National in 2004, transferring to the Broadway production and then an International tour, including Sydney, Wellington and Hong Kong. He also repeated the role in the 2006 film version.

Directed by Tony and Olivier Award winner Tony Johnson, THE LIBERTINE is a portrait of debauchery and self-destruction, chronicling the exploits of the 2nd Earl of Rochester, the notorious willy-wagging rake, boozer and frenemy of King Charles II who died from his sins at the young age of 33. He wrote some of the most distinctive poetry of the 1670’s, sweetly versified, pungently phrased prose about premature ejaculation, impotence and the love of a young woman for an older man.

“You will not like me,” Dominic tells the audience in his opening monologue, clearly not the case, judging by the popular reaction of patrons and press alike.

Dominic signed my sketch on arrival at the theatre for Saturday’s matinee.