Drawing: Dame Judi Dench as Elizabeth I

Posted on October 12, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Dame Judi Dench is considered to be one of the greatest actresses of the post-war period, primarily through her work in theatre, including several of Shakespeare’s plays.

However, it was a Shakespearean role in a film about the Bard that won her film’s most coveted award – the Oscar (she also won the BAFTA). Playing Elizabeth I in Shakespeare in Love (1999) for only a few minutes earned her the Best Supporting Actress statue. In her acceptance speech she said “I feel for eight minutes on the screen, I should only get a little bit of him.” Her understated take on the monarch does set much of the film’s plot in motion.

Dame Judi signed my sketch through the post and sent me a nice complimentary letter.

Drawing: Robert Lindsay as Richard III

Posted on October 10, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

I had the pleasure of witnessing one of the best stage renditions when I saw Robert Lindsay performing the title role in Richard III at the Savoy Theatre in 1999. I drew this sketch, but it wasn’t until Robert was appearing in Onassis at the Novello eleven years later that I actually got it signed… and a cryptic quip from the Shakespearean heavyweight.

Drawing: Mark Rylance and Juliet Rylance

Posted on October 9, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Juliet Rylance and her father, Mark, graced the London stage boards at the same time in different theatres during 2010. Mark featured in David Hirson’s comedy La Bête at the Comedy Theatre, and Juliet was in The Bridge Project’s Shakespearean double bill, As You Like It / The Tempest over at the Old Vic.

Mark signed my sketch first on the 10th August 2010, and Juliet a week later.

My other Mark Rylance drawings can be found here, here and here.

Drawing: Christian Camargo and Juliet Rylance In As You Like It

Posted on October 8, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Husband and wife Christian Camargo and Juliet Rylance featured in The Tempest and As You Like It as part of the Old Vic’s Bridge Project, directed by Oscar winner Sam Mendes.

Performed in repertory over a two month season in 2010, Juliet played the roles of Rosalind and Miranda, while Christian performed as Orlando and Ariel.

My dreaming depicts them as Orlando and Rosalind in As You Like It. Juliet was rewarded with an Obie Award for her role. She has recently produced a modern retelling of Chekhov’s The Seagull, written and directed by Christian. Titled Days and Nights, the film features both, plus a cast including William Hurt, Ben Whishaw, Jean Reno and Katie Holmes. It will be release later this year.

Drawing: Ron Cephas Jones and Stephen Dillane in The Tempest

Posted on October 7, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

2010 was the second year of Sam Mendes’ transatlantic Bridge Project featuring globally touring hybrid Anglo-American cast at the Old Vic Theatre. The Shakespearean comedy As You Like It ran in repertory with The Tempest. At first sight they may not appear obvious bedfellows, but both deal with exile, sibling hostility and a touching father-daughter relationship.

BAFTA and Tony winner Stephen Dillane, currently seen in the British hit TV series Game of Thrones portrayed Prospero, The Tempest’s main character and overthrown Duke of Milan turned sourcerer. American actor Ron Cephas Jones played the enigmatic half-human, half-beast Caliban – Prospero’s slave.

Time Out described his performance, “with his vulpine aspect, ascetic frame and rich, musical baritone, earns that hackneyed critical plaudit, “riveting.”

Both Stephen and Ron signed my drawings in August 2010 at the stage door.

Drawing: Robert Lindsay in Onassis

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Winner of a BAFTA, a Tony and three Olivier Awards, Robert Lindsay took on the title role in Onassis at the Novello Theatre, London in 2010. He signed this drawing at the stage door and kept the original.

Drawing: Ben Barnes in Birdsong

Posted on October 4, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sebastien Faulk’s 1993 war novel Birdsong was adapted for the stage with its World Premiere at the Comedy Theatre in London from September 2010 to January 2011. Directed by Trevor Nunn, it starred Ben Barnes as Stephen Wraysford, a soldier in France during the First World War.

Drawing: Mark Rylance as Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Mark Rylance won both the Olivier and the Tony Awards for his performance as Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron – the opinionated eccentric in Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem. “Rylance raises his game even higher and shows he is one of the greats,” said The Sunday Times. Time Out stated, “Believe the hype. Rylance’s astonishing final scene is as close to real magic as you’ll find.”

Mark signed this aqua-crayon and black conté sketch at the Apollo Theatre, London in February 2011. For my black and white alternate see here.

Drawing: Martin Freeman and Sophie Thompson in Clybourne Park

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Clybourne Park was written by Bruce Norris in 2010 and received its UK premiere at the Royal Court Theatre in London, directed by Dominic Cooke and featuring Martin Freeman and Sophie Thompson.

It explores the fault line between race and property. In the first half it’s 1959, Russ and Bev are selling their desirable two bed home at a low price. This enables the first black family to move into the neighbourhood causing ripples of discontent amongst the cosy white urbanites of Clybourne Park. In the second half it’s 2009, the same property is being bought by Lindsey and Steve, whose plan to raze the house and start again is met with a similar response.

It won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony and Oliver for Best New Play.

Martin (Russ) signed my sketch at the British Independent Film Awards at the Old Billingsgate Fish Market and Sophie signed at the Wyndham’s Theatre stage door after it transferred in 2011, without Martin and Steffan Rhodri.

Drawing: Diana Rigg in Pygmalion

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sixties icon Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg is best known as Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. She has won a BAFTA (1990), and Emmy (1997), and a Tony Award for her role in Medea on Broadway in 1994.

In 2011 she played Mrs Higgins in Pygmalion at the Garrick Theatre. She played Eliza Dolittle in the same play in 1974. I did this quick sketch of her as Mrs Higgins, which she signed at the Garrick Theatre stage door. As she was signing it, she split her first and last names so as not to “write over the beautiful drawing”