Drawing: Sian Thomas in Passion Play

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Sian Thomas in Passion Play at the Duke of York's Theatre on London's West End

Welsh actress Sian Thomas, known for her big screen role as Amelia Bones, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic in 2007’s HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX also has an impressive set of stage credentials. She is currently playing Aunt Pat in Jez Butterworth’s epic new play THE FERRYMAN at London’s Gielgud Theatre, which ends this month.

The last time I saw Sian on the West End was in Peter Nichol’s PASSION PLAY at the Duke of York’s in 2013. She was the ‘friend’ who decides to enlighten Zoe Wannamaker’s character about her husband’s betrayal, a performance Charles Spencer in his Telegraph review describes as “memorably bitter.”

I had been carrying this sketch of Sian around in my ‘working’ file (probably ‘walking’ file is more apt given the miles I cover stalking stage doors) since I missed her at the Duke’s five years ago so took the opportunity to catch up before with her at the Gielgud on Saturday when she arrived for the matinee and signed it.

Drawing: Zizi Strallen in Mary Poppins

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Zizi Strallen in Mary Poppins on UK Tour

One of the most popular and busy British theatre performers is 28 year-old Zizi Strallen. Fresh from a sell-out run of the acclaimed production FOLLIES at the National earlier this year, she is currently one of the leads in the stage adaption of Baz Luhrmann’s classic film STRICTLY BALLROOM – THE MUSICAL.

Prior to that she played the title role in Cameron Macintosh’s UK tour of MARY POPPINS throughout 2015. It’s a role her sister Scarlett also performed in the West End, Broadway and Sydney. Zizi kindly signed my Poppins pic at the Piccadilly stage door last weekend prior to the STRICTLY matinee.

Drawing: Jean-Claude Killy

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of alpine skier Jean-Claude Killy

One of the greatest alpine skiers of all-time is Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy. I was reminded of this fact during the coverage of this year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea.

He dominated the sport in the late 1960’s, which included a clean sweep of the 1968 Olympic alpine events in Grenoble winning three golds, in the downhill, giant slalom and slalom. He also won two World Cup titles and six World Championship gold medals. I grew up watching him compete and later was a big fan of his two television series including THE KILLY CHALLENGE.

In one episode he skied down the eastern slope of the previously unskied down the side of Mt Ngauruhoe a volcano in my home country New Zealand. For LORD OF THE RINGS fans it’s the mountain used by Peter Jackson to represent Mt Doom in the screen adaption of the Tolkien trilogy. On the 35 degree slope he reached speeds in excess of 100 mph.

Jean-Claude won his first International event at the age of 18 and was included in the French team the 1962 World Championships. Unaware of his selection, he was still trying to qualify at an event in the north of Italy. On his final run, in typical reckless style he hit an ice sheet, before the finishing line, which propelled him into the air, landing on one ski, but crossing the line with the fastest time and the other leg broken. He watched the World Championships on crutches.

During this year’s Games, his name repeatedly came up in the TV commentary, so I suddenly thought I must get him to sign a drawing and quickly sent him this sketch at his home base in Geneva. He returned it within a week signed and dedicated.

Drawing: Michelle Fairley in Julius Caesar

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Michelle Fairley in Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre in London

Northern Irish actress Michelle Fairley is well known to TV viewers as Catelyn Stark in GAME OF THRONES and the recurring role of Dr Ava Hessington in the US Network series SUITS. She has also appeared in such British classics as THE BILL, HOLBY CITY, CASULTY and LOVEJOY. On the bigger screen, Michelle played Mrs Granger in the HARRY POTTER AND THE DEADLY HALLOWS films.

Her extensive stage work includes an Olivier Award nomination for her portrayal as Emilia in the Donmar Warehouse 2007 production of Shakespeare’s OTHELLO. Earlier this year she played the rash, impassioned soldier and conspirator Cassius in another one of the Bard’s tragedies JULIUS CAESAR at the new Bridge Theatre situated by a Tower Bridge on London’s South Bank.

It was described by the Metro’s theatre critic, appropriately named Adam Bloodworth as a “turbo-charged performance.”

I left this sketch of Michelle at the stage door and it came back, signed and dedicated.

Drawing: Clare Smyth

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of chef Clare Smyth

Culinary star Clare Smyth, the first British female chef to hold and retain three Michelin Stars, has just been named the Best Female Chef on the planet by the World’s Best 50 Restaurants judges. It’s an accolade she found a little ‘strange’ given that she has competed on a level playing field with men since the beginning of her career.

“Separating male and female chefs for me is strange, but there’s not enough women coming through at the top so we need to do something about it,” she said in an Independent interview. In 2002 she joined Restaurant Gordon Ramsey in London, running it for 13 years, before opening her debut establishment, CORE BY CLARE SMYTH in Notting Hill last summer, with the philosophy, ‘artisanal flair and sustainable ethos.’ It won the Best Restaurant at the GQ Food and Wine Awards this week.

I actually meet the friendly and laid back Clare, when she was one of the judges for the UK Young Chef Awards held at Harrods in 2015 and I was masquerading as a photographer with a food fetish. I did do a sketch of her but never got it signed so sent this quick one to her at CORE, and she duly obliged.

A confession: she signed in pencil and corrected my misspelling of her first name, which I have subsequently sorted for this post. Spelling was always a truant in my education.

Drawing: Josefina Gabrielle in Chicago

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Josefina Gabrielle on West End

Josefina Gabrielle is very familiar with CHICAGO, the musical not the city, although I could be misrepresenting her knowledge of American metropolises. The British musical theatre star has returned to the show, this time as Velma Kelly, after playing Roxie Hart in the two previous London productions at the Cambridge and Adelphi Theatres. With three Olivier Award nominations for OKLAHOMA, SWEET CHARITY and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, Josephina’s musical pedigree is assured.

I drew this montage of her in CHICAGO, as the Evil Witch Evilena in the Hackney Empire’s 2013 panto PUSS AND BOOTS, her dual roles as NIckie and Ursula in the stage adaption of John Masefield’s 1935 children’s book, THE BOX OF DELIGHTS at Wilton’s Music Hall in the East End and her Oliver-nominated performance as Gussie Carnegie in the Menier Chocolate Factory’s 2014 production of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

She signed it for me at the Phoenix Theatre stage door when she arrived for the CHICAGO matinee.

Drawing: Helen McCrory in Medea

Posted on April 24, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Helen McCrory in Medea at the National Theatre in London

Throughout the summer of 2014, the superb BAFTA-winning and double Olivier nominated actress Helen McCrory played the title role in the National Theatre’s production of Euripides’s MEDEA on the Olivier stage.

It’s one of the most terrifying characters in Ancient Greek tragedy – a sorceress who kills her own children – and it requires, if you will forgive me, a killer performance’, one which Telegraph critic Charles Spencer called Helen’s “performance of her career.”

Helen of course is no stranger to playing screen villains, her most notable being Narcissa Malloy in the final three HARRY POTTER films. For her role as MEDEA she won the Critics Circle Theatre award for Best Actress.

I left this drawing at the National for Helen to sign which she did and returned it to me with a note saying ‘what beautiful sketches.’

Jason Watkins in Frozen

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Jason Watkins in Frozen at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on London's West End

“Audiences may come to this production drawn by the star power of Suranne Jones, but will leave talking about Jason Watkins,” wrote David Butcher in his Radio Times review of FROZEN, which has been running at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket since February.

“His performance as Ralph, a serial killer and paedophile, who abducts children is strikingly sinister, a creepy tour de force”.

Suranne plays Nancy, a mother of a murdered daughter, killed by Jason’s character. Both actors were kept apart for most of the rehearsals to make the moment when they ‘collide’ on stage as ‘powerful’ as possible said director Jonathan Munby.

When you meet the BAFTA-winning Jason he is the complete opposite, one of the nicest people stalking the London boards, obviously not a method actor. He was more than happy to sign my drawing at the stage door a few weeks ago.

Drawing: Simon Stephens

Posted on April 19, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of writer Simon Stephens

Continuing my series of writer sketches is prolific English playwright Simon Stephens. After giving up school teaching, Simon’s theatre career started at the Royal Court Theatre in London where he taught the Young Writers’ Programme for many years. He is now its Associate Playwright as well as Artistic Associate at the Lyric Hammersmith and the inaugural Associate Playwright at the Steep Theatre Company in Chicago… just busy enough.

Winner of numerous accolades, his most notable is the Best New Play Olivier Award in 2006 for ON THE SHORE OF THE WIDE WORLD. Simon’s adaption of Mark Haddon’s novel THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME won the 2013 Best New Play Olivier, one of a record seven the production collected.

The highly acclaimed story surrounding the mystery of the death of a neighbour’s dog investigated by Christopher Boone who has an autistic spectrum condition. The play opened at the National Theatre in August 2012 before transferring to the Apollo in London’s West End the following year. The production halted when the theatre’s ceiling collapsed on 19 December and reopened next door at the Gielgud Theatre in July 2014, completing the run in June last year.

The Broadway production debuted in October 2014 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre, winning the Best New Play Tony Award. I sent my sketch of Simon to his London agent and it quickly came back signed and dedicated.

Drawing: Cuba Gooding Jr in Chicago

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Cuba Gooding Jr in Chicago at the Phoenix Theatre on London's West End

Cuba Gooding Jr’s portrayal of the arrogant, yet charismatic football player Rod Tidwell in Cameron Crowe’s blockbuster sports comedy JERRY MAGUIRE won him the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1996. This breakthrough role originated the famous phrase,”Show me the money!” that still resonates today. This month he made his West End stage debut as the hotshot lawyer Billy Flynn in the 21st Anniversary revival of the musical CHICAGO at the Phoenix Theatre.

After being told by security that Cuba was resting between the matinee and evening performances last Saturday, he suddenly appeared at the stage door in his dressing gown to meet the surprised fans. When I asked him to to sign my sketch ‘To Mark’ he said “Oh Mark that’s my middle name, did you know that? I didn’t but I do know so I was confident he could spell it on the dedication.