Drawing: Sophia Anne Caruso in Lazarus

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

sophia-anne-caruso

I posted a signed drawing of Michael C Hall and Sophia Anne Caruso in Lazarus a few days ago. Both have reprised their roles in the David Bowie musical based on his film THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, which transferred from New York to London’s specially constructed pop-up Kings Cross Theatre this month. Because of the weather I was unable to stand at the stage door and get it graphed in person, so I actually left it for Sophia along with this sketch of her. Both came back signed along with a nice note thanking me. Fourteen year old Sophia auditioned for the part of the child woman Girl in secret because they only wanted actors over 18.

She said she was always in awe of David Bowie, so when she got a call ten minutes before her second call-back to say that her idol was present and that if she hurried she would sing for him. She moved like never before. He said ‘it was nice to meet me’,she recalled. Two days later, on her 15th birthday she got the part. On opening night David gave her a gold rocket pin and a card saying he appreciated her doing the role. The card was stolen, but she will always treasure the pin.

Drawing: Ken Stott as King Lear in The Dresser

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

ken-stott-lear

My wife and I have a Bard tradition of celebrating our wedding anniversary with a touch of Shakespeare. It can be one of his plays or a production that includes or is based on his work. This year we popped along to Sean Foley’s acclaimed revival of Ronald Harwood’s tragicomedy THE DRESSER at the Duke of York’s in London. The brilliant Scottish and Olivier Award winning actor Ken Stott is ‘Sir’, a fading ham actor who rolls through the regions during the second World War ‘giving’ his Lear, Othello and Richard III to the people. Like the Shakespearean monarch, he is in decline as his longtime and long suffering dresser Norman, wonderfully played by Reece Shearsmith, tries to get him through the evening’s performance of KING LEAR. Both Ken and Reece signed a sketch I did of them together. This one is Ken as Lear, which he graphed for me last night at the stage door.

Drawing: Michael C.Hall and Sophia Anne Caruso in Lazarus

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

lazarus

LAZARUS has landed in London. Described as David Bowie’s parting gift to the world, the unconventional musical is a collaboration between the music of ‘Ziggy Stardust’, Irish playwright Enda Walsh and Belgian avant-garde director Ivo van Howe, based on NIcolas Roeg’s 1976 film THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, in which Bowie starred as the humanoid alien Thomas Newton, stranded on earth after being driven out by a drought on his own planet. It premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop at the end of 2015. His final public appearance was at the show’s opening on 7 December 2015 prior to his death a month later. The opening song, ‘Lazarus’ is the third track on his final album ‘Blackstar.’

DEXTER’s Michael C.Hall plays Newton and Sophie Anne Caruso is Girl, his muse. Both have reprised their roles in Bowie’s birthplace, at the pop-up Kings Cross Theatre with a specially constructed cavernous 900 seater venue. It opened last night.

I popped over on Friday night to the uncovered stage door to get this sketch signed in person, but it was raining, an unusual occurrence for London and not ideal for collection graphs. However the very kind stage door staff promised to get it to Michael and Sophia Anne and they did.

Drawing: Adam Rothenberg and Lydia Wilson in Fool For Love

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

fool-for-love

Sam Shepherd’s play FOOL FOR LOVE, a finalist for the 1984 Pulitzer Drama Prize is the final production this year at the intimate hipster pop-up venue Found 111 on the site of the old Central St Martin’s School of Art in London’s Charring Cross Rd. RIPPER STREET co-stars Adam Rothenberg and Lydia Wilson are former lovers Eddie and May, confined in a run-down motel room fighting for the love they can’t live with or without.

New Jersey-born Adam makes his London stage debut after a variety of American stage and screen performances. Fresh from blockbuster STAR TREK BEYOND, Lydia was last treading the local boards in her Olivier-nominated role as Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge in KING CHARLES III. I caught up with both of them after an evening performance last week and they signed my sketch.

Drawing: Gawn Grainger in The Entertainer

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

gawn-grainger

Instead of quietly slipping off to Tuscany and working on his memoirs, veteran British actor Gawn Grainger stepped into the role of ex-showman Billy Rice in THE ENTERTAINER, the final production in the Kenneth Branagh season of plays at The Garrick. The 78 year-old replaced John Hurt, who was originally cast to play the father of washed-up music hall performer Archie Rice, but had to withdraw for medical reasons.

Gawn’s illustrious stage career began with his West End debut at the age of twelve before going on to be part of Lawrence Olivier’s inaugural season at the National Theatre and has since worked with the professions finest. Paul Taylor wrote about Gawn’s performance in his Independent review “Gawn Grainger is perfection at conveying the Edwardian staunch pride and garrulous irritability with the modern world.” He signed my drawing at the stage door, commenting, “it looks like me,” which is always a good sign.

Drawing: Greta Scacchi in The Entertainer

Posted on October 31, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

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This is the third drawing that Greta Scacchi has signed for me. The first two were graphed when she starred in BETTE AND JOAN alongside Anita Dobson at the Arts Theatre in 2011. The Emmy-winner has returned to the West End in the last play of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s productions at the Garrick. John Osbourne’s venomous 1957 play THE ENTERTAINER. Greta plays Phoebe, the sad wife of Sir Kenneth’s clapped-out Vaudevillian Archie Price. The Independent’s Paul Taylor wrote in his four-star review, “Greta Scacchi vividly captures the touchiness and squally mood-swings of Archie’s weary, put-upon working class wife.” Greta was running a little late for Saturday’s matinee, but graciously stopped to sign for three of us waiting at the stage door, including this sketch of her as Phoebe and a younger portrait, which I identified when she asked me who the second person was? She smiled and signed.

Drawing: Harriet Thorpe in The Dresser

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

harriet-thorpe

British actress Harriet Thorpe’s most recognisable TV roles are receptionist Carole in THE BRITTAS EMPIRE and Patsy’s eccentric chum Fleur in ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, a role she revised in the film adaption this year. She’s also appeared in a few films, including CALENDAR GIRLS and actually played the elderly witch Wakanda in a deleted scene from HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1. On stage Harriet had several seasons with the National Theatre and has worked extensively in the West End including Madame Thenardier in LES MISERABLES. She has returned to the London boards in the role of Sir’s faithful wife, ‘Her Ladyship’ in the revival of Ron Harwood’s THE DRESSER at the Duke of York’s, where I meet Harriet after the evening performance last Saturday and she signed my drawing.

Drawing: Noma Dumezweni and Paul Thornley in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2

Posted on October 27, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

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Olivier Award winner Noma Dumezweni portrays the adult Hermione Granger-Weasley, married to Ron Weasley, played by Paul Thornley in the original West End run of HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD PARTS 1 AND 2, which opened in June this year at the Palace Theatre. In the eighth instalment of JK Rowling’s HARRY POTTER phenomenon, set 19 years after THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, Hermione is now the Minister of Magic and Ron runs Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes. Their daughter Rose is about to follow in their footsteps and attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Both Noma and Paul had kindly signed a previous sketch of the plays leads. Since then I have been a periodic ‘visitor’ to the stage door with a pile of renderings including this one of them together in their respective roles, which they both happily signed.

Drawing: Selina Cadell in The Dresser

Posted on October 26, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

selina-cadell

Selina Cadell has, as they say a ‘face that is tantalisingly familiar’. That is because the well known English actress has appeared on stage and the small screen for over thirty years. Her most recognisable role is probably Mrs Tishell, the overwrought pharmacist in a neck brace in DOC MARTIN. But many will recall her familiar face in JEEVES AND WOOSTER, THE CATHERINE TATE SHOW, FATHER BROWN and VICTORIA WOOD among a whole host of others. She played the vanishing lady herself, Miss Froy in the BBC TV film THE LADY VANISHED. In theatre Selina has an equally long list of appearances, including the Sam Mendes’ acclaimed Broadway production of Anton Chekhov’s THE CHERRY ORCHARD and her role as Maria in TWELFTH NIGHT for the Donmar Warehouse in both London and New York.

She has returned to the West End as the pragmatic and cynical but highly efficient stage manager Madge in Ron Harwood’s classic 1980 play THE DRESSER at the Duke of York’s Theatre. When I asked her to sign this drawing in the role she said, “How very sweet” and did so.

Drawing: Lydia Piechowiak – Miss Giddy Heights

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Lydia Piechowiak Drawing

English actor and burlesque artist Lydia Piechowiak is part of the cool cast of the Restoration romp THE LIBERTINE at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket.
Lydia, whose surname is from her Polish ancestry is also known by her stage name, the intoxicating ‘Miss Giddy Heights.’

TimeOut calls her “The international burlesque Dynamo… shimmering from elegant to debauched at the drop of a feather fan,” ideal credentials for her current ensemble West End role. After completing a degree in TV, Film and Theatre from the University of Bristol Lydia studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York before establishing her own theatre company Open Door Productions.

Recently seen in the film BRIDGET JONES’ BABY, Lydia also received rave reviews from theatre critics as the over-the-top refugee maid Mitizi in the UK tour of Agatha Christie’s A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED earlier this year. I intercepted her exit from an evening LIBERTINE performance last week to get this drawing signed.