Drawing: Anna Carteret in Shakespeare in Love

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

British stage and screen actress Anna Carteret has quite literally follow in footsteps of Dame Judi Dench playing Queen Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love and on the same stage as the great Dame recently performed in Peter and Alice – The Noël Coward Theatre in London. She is probably best known on the small screen as Police Inspector Kate Longton in th BBC’s long-running 1980s series Juliet Bravo

Anna made her first stage appearance as a cloud and a jumping bean in the panto Jack and the Beanstalk at the Palace Theatre in Watford in December 1957.

She joined Laurence Olivier’s National Theatre Company at the Old Vic in 1967 and over many a decade her performances included Olivia in Twelfth Night, Queen Isabel in Richard II, Roxane in Cyrano, Chorus in Oedipus and Anya in The Cherry Orchard.

Anna has played a Queen Elizabeth before, in the National’s 1979 production of Richard III. She also played Queen Margaret in the same play, for the Royal Shakespeare Company 20 years later. Throughout the 1990s as a member of The Peter Hall Company she appeared on both West End and the Broadway boards.

Drawing: Hugh Grant

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Fifty four year old Hugh Grant thinks he’s getting too old to play the lead in romantic comedies. Yesterday he was at the Odeon cinema in Kensington for the premiere of his latest film, The Rewrite, and he doesn’t think it is a rom-com… or maybe just a little bit.

Not one for stardom and celebrity status, Hugh, “isn’t feeling very showbizzy at the moment”. In fact he’s more of an anti-film star. He often claims that acting isn’t a true calling, just something he fell into. But he is known for a very strong work ethic on set and will do endless takes to achieve the desired standard.

His films have earned US$2.4 billion from 25 theatrical releases worldwide, especially in the genre of romantic comedy. Although recently he played several non-comedic cameo roles, all in one film. He plays six characters in the epic drama Cloud Atlas, all of which he said are, “incredibly evil”.

He has joined the latest craze to replace the ‘ice bucket challenge’. Launched by Jemima Khan, ‘wake up call’ is where famous people take pictures of themselves after they’ve just woken up. It raises money for Unicef’s Syria Emergency Fund. Others to do it are Stephen Fry, Derren Brown, Tom Hiddleston and Nigella Lawson.

For the sake of recognition and avoiding rejection I based my sketch on a more familiar looking Hugh. I was a last minute thing. The Odeon in London’s fashionable High Street Kensington is a little way out of my normal beaten track. Hugh makes his acting appear spontaneous. He is known for his nonchalant approach with a touch of sarcasm and irony, precisely timed dialogue, delivery and facial expressions.

Hugh was generous with his time for the sizeable crowd at the small cinema, signing graphs and posing for selfies. His quick efficient sig was splashed across my drawing, and belatedly I asked for a dedication, “To Mark” in my six-years-living-in-London-antipodean-accent. “Matt?” he asked, “no, with a k,” I replied. Puzzled, he gave his famous smile and returned the drawing to me…

Drawing: Gordon Ramsay / The F Word

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

My culinary curiosity continues. This time it’s Chef from “Hell” Gordon Ramsay. His TV programmes, including Hell’s Kitchen, Hotel Hell, The F Word and Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares have made him a household name. In fact, it was his shows that cemented my interest in cooking and celebrity chefs.

Gordon’s restaurants have been awarded 15 Michelin stars. His signature establishment restaurant ‘Gordon Ramsay’ has held 3 Michelin Stars since 2001.

Gordon has become famous for his use of expletives and fiery temper – a reputation built upon his goal of culinary perfection and probably influenced by previous mentors, including the equally pugnacious Marco Pierre White. But on my sketch I got the other four letter word, so I guess he liked it.

Drawing: Al Pacino

Posted on September 25, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

I drew this portrait of Al Pacino as Shylock in The Merchant of Venice in 2011. Actually, I drew a couple of sketches of him in the New York production. One I posted, but never came back. This one sat in my bag folder I carry daily, along with other numerous drawings of possible luminaries I might come across. Last Sunday he was at London’s BFI for the screening of Salome (the film) and WIld Salome (the doco). I was not optimistic as I positioned myself in a pen with a pen sat the beginning of the red carpet.

He made his Broadway debut in Don Petersen’s Does A Tiger Wear A Necktie? at the Belasco Theater on Februry 25, 1969. Although it closed after 39 performances Al received rave reviews, winning the Tony Award.

Al played the Bard’s ruthless Venetian Jewish money lender in the summer of 2010 in a Shakespeare in the Park production of The Merchant of Venice. It transferred to the Broadhurst Theater in October and continued there until February 2011, with Al being nominated for another Tony.

He can be difficult to get a ‘graph from because everyone wants him, and if you do get one, it can be unrecognisable. He’s very quick. The customary ‘Al’ has many variations, especially when you’re caught up in the maelstrom that surrounds Alfredo James Pacino.

A climate change protest in Central London grid-locked the traffic, including Al’s car. We were warned he will be late, will do press and go in… but never fear, he will come back to sign. All that happened, but not necessarily in that order. He would talk to media, then slip over to the baying crowd and sign a bit.

On one such sortie, he came down the line to me, but it was mayhem and he pulled away to head back to the press. He then noticed my sketch and came back, took it and signed a great ‘Al’ on it, gave me the thumbs up, handed it back and moved back to the media scrum. My folder was one sheet lighter and my collection now included one of the greastest actors of our time.

Drawing: Joanna Page

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The delightful Welsh actress Joanna Page not only signed my sketch, she sent me a complimentary note with it. After graduating from RADA she spent ten years treading the boards in costume dramas at the National and for the Royal Shakespeare Company, followed by film appearances, including Miss Julie and Love, Actually. But she is probably best known for her lead role in the BBC comedy Gavin & Stacey, playing Stacey the bubbly protagonist from Barry.

Speaking to the Radio Times, Joanna said that despite all her roles, the character of Stacey is the one she still identifies with the most. “I think I will always be seen as this small, blonde 20 year old, even in my fifties. I will be like Felicity Kendall is now.”

Drawing: Colin Firth

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Colin Firth – or as a large number of his adoring female admirers like to call him, ‘Mr Darcy’ – is always accommodating with the public, myself included.

At this week’s GQ Men of the Year 2014 Awards (where he picked up the Best Leading Man gong), he ‘walked the line’ signing autographs, shaking hands and posing for pics with all who had gathered outside the Royal Opera House in London.

Colin actually played a Mr Darcy on three occasions; once in Pride and Prejudice (1995), then in Bridget Jones’ Diary (2001) and again in the sequel Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004). But both of his Oscar nominated roles came from playing a character named ‘George’. He was George Falconer in A Single Man in 2009, and King George VI in The King’s Speech the following year for which he won the award. He often jokes about his first name “It doesn’t exactly have a ring to hit… it’s more the sort of name you’d give your goldfish for a joke.”

The ‘Mr Darcy’ label has stuck since 1995. Colin says, “he is a figure that won’t die. I can’t control him”. There was even a woman in hospital, diagnosed with high blood pressure, who was told not to watch any more Pride and Prejudice. She was 103.

I drew this sketch a couple years ago and never really intended to get it signed. I had planned to draw him on stage, but haven’t gotten around to it. As it happened, I didn’t have a Samuel L. Jackson, a Gerard Butler, a Lewis Hamilton, a Nicole Scherzinger, a Kim Kardashian or a Kanye West or a Ringo Starr (not that he’s signing these days) or an Iggy Pop drawing on me, who all passed by on their way in at the Opera House. For some reason Colin’s sketch was in my folder in my bag and it was soon in front of him. He gave a complimentary nod and signed it… Colin Firth, not ‘Mr Darcy’

Drawing: Rachel Khoo / The Little Paris Kitchen

Posted on August 29, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The Little Paris Kitchen is a big news, not only in Paris, but worldwide. Drawing on my gastronomical vice, especially TV cooking shows, I’ve continued my series of celebrity chef sketches.

This time it’s Gallic culinary artist, London born Rachel Khoo, who arrived in Paris four years ago after completing an Art and Design degree form Central Saint Martins to study patisserie at the Le Cordon Bleu (The Blue Ribbon), the world’s largest hospitality institution.

Her father is Malay-Chinese and her mother is Austrian so food was always an important part of Rachel’s life with her mixed cultural heritage creating some interesting family meals. “In Malaysia, they don’t ask how you are, they ask ‘have you eaten?'”she said in an interview.

With a degree in pastry she set up the French Capital’s smallest restaurant – La Petite Cuisine à Paris in her 21sq m flat in the hip Belleville District.

It could only host two diners at a time, but when a new lunch date advertised people responded within 20 seconds. I love the show. It has great production values, set in a picture-postcard artist’s garret, fun to watch, snobbish, great food present with infections enthusiasm by Rachel. She demystifies French cuisine by giving traditional dishes an ‘alt-Brit flavour’ and a fun, fresh approach. I recall the episode when she collected honey with a distinctive ‘city’ taste from the beehives on top of the Grand Palais – formidable!

Bon Ap! as Rachel would say.

Drawing: Gemma Atkinson in Calendar Girls

Posted on August 27, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

British actress, TV personality and model Gemma Atkinson first came to prominence playing Lisa Hunter in the teenage soap Hollyoaks. In theatre she appeared in Peter Pan at the Manchester Opera House in 2012, playing the lead role. “It’s nice to be boyish and not have to worry about my appearance and I get to fly!”

She played the more revealing role of Elaine in the West End production of Tim Firth’s Calendar Girls, at the Noël Coward Theatre in the Summer of 2009, where she signed this quick black biro sketch for me. Gemma also toured with the production, this time playing Celia, Miss September. She is currently back in BBC’s Casualty, playing Tamzin Boyle,

Drawing: Glenda Jackson in Marat/Sade

Posted on August 20, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The Persecution and Assasination of Jean-Paul Marat As Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade (whew) is a 1963 play by German writer Peter Weiss. I won’t give you the German version. Thankfully, it’s usually shortened to Marat/Sade.

Set in the historical French Charenton Asylum, it is a ‘play within a play’, where the actors are inmates. The play within the play is directed by the Marquis de Sade (the man after whom sadism is named) culminating in the assasination of Jean-Paul Marat.

The 1964 production was staged at London’s Aldwych Theatre, directed by Peter Brook. It featured the powerhouse actress Glenda Jackson in her first major role. She played Marat’s assassin Charlotte Corday as a ‘waif-like narcoleptic unable to control her behaviour’.

Writing in The Observer thirty six years later, David Edgar said, “I was 16 when I saw this and it suddenly made clear to me what theatre could do… it was the best performance I’ve ever seen”. The production ran on Broadway in 1965 and in Paris. Glenda also appeared in the 1967 film version. Glenda was nominated for a Tony Award.

She left the theatrical stage for the political boards in 1992, where she is a Labour Party MP representing Hampstead and Kilburn. She signed this sketch at the House of Commons last week.

Drawing: Rick Stein

Posted on August 15, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Combining two of my vices – drawing and watching cooking programmes on TV – I decided to draw a few of my favourite celebrity chefs. Rick Stein was the first. I sent this sketch to him at his flagship, The Seafood Restaurant in Padstow on the northern Cornish Coast and he sent it back quicker than you could boil a lobster.

He’s been on our TV screens for the past two decades with that happy laid-back demeanour. He also sells seafood by the seashore, and more. His empire includes The Seafood Restaurant, S Petroc’s Bistro, Rick Stein’s Café, Stein’s Fish & Chips, a cookery school, accommodation, a gift shop, a deli, a patisserie, a fishmongers and The Cornish Arms pub in nearby St Merryn… and no Rick Stein at Bannisters in Mollymook in NSW, Australia.

Rick has to be credited for single-handedly reviving the British seafood industry. Padstow is now a popular tourist destination. His impact on the local econmy has led some to call the once sleepy Cornish fishing village ‘Padstein’.