Drawing: Relatively Speaking at Wyndham’s Theatre

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The first London revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s classic comedy Relatively Speaking concludes its three month West End run at Wyndham’s Theatre this month.

The Theatre Royal Bath production, directed by Lindsay Posner stars Felicity Kendal, Jonathan Coy, Kara Tointon and Max Bennett.

Described by the Guardian as “two hours of continuous laughter,” this beautifully crafted and charmingly English play was Ayckbourn’s first great West End success, opening at the Duke of York’s in 1967. Its theme of middle class marital misery and the mistaken identity gag became his speciality.

Greg (Bennett) and Ginny (Tointon) only met a month ago, but he has made up his mind that she’s the one for him. She tells him that she’s off for a weekend at her parents. He finds a scribbled address and decides to surprise her and ask her father for his daughter’s hand.

Sheila (Kendal) and Philip (Coy) are enjoying a peaceful Sunday morning breakfast interrupted by the two visitors. The only thing – they’re not Ginny’s parents…

All four cast members are a delight, on and off the stage. They happily signed my sketch after Friday night’s performance.

Drawing: Katherine Jenkins

Posted on August 17, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Welsh songbird Katherine Jenkins did a bit of tube busking in November 2011. The mezzo-soprano is more used to performing in front of thousands in some of the World’s major stages.

A 45 minute stint at Leicester Square station for London commuters yielded £16 for a homeless charity, going undercover with a ‘make-under”, hiding her trademark blonde locks behind a scruffy brunette wig and casual clothes. But her distinctive vocal fooled few.

Katherine’s classical crossover style, including operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns has won her two Classical Brit Album of the Year Awards.

After performing with the legendary Dame Vera Lynn at the 60th VE Day Anniversary concert in 2005, the WWII ‘forces sweetheart’ said Katherine should consider performing for the British troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. She did just that. Her helicopter was targeted by missiles, but she eventually landed safely when anti-missile flares were deployed.

She came second in the US Dancing with the Stars and this year ran the London marathon in 5 hours 26 minutes, raising £25,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support in memory of her father. Katherine also performed at a fundraiser in October 2011 to help relief efforts after the devastation caused by the earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.

She signed my ‘busking’ sketch at her London office in Chiswick Lane, a couple of days after her underground debut. An earlier portrait was signed in the mid 2000s through the mail.

Drawing: All Round Good Guys Part 2 – Khan and Botham

Posted on August 16, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Imran Khan is Pakistan’s most successful captain, in a career that spanned almost twenty years from 1971-1992. In 88 Test matches he scored 3807 runs, including six centuries, taking 382 wickets.

He is one of only eight players to achieve the all-rounders Test triple – 3000 runs and 300 wickets . He did so in 75 matches, second fastest behind Sir Ian Botham (72).

He retired twice. First after the 1987 World Cup, but due to popular demand he was requested by President Zia ul Haq to return to Captain the team again. At 39, he lead Pakistan to World Cup glory, winning the 1992 Championship, beating England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the final, then retired again.

An alma mater of Oxford University, Khan entered politics and was a member of the National Assembly (2002-2007). He is also known for his philanthropy, building cancer hospitals and research centres.

In 1996 he faced libel action taken against him by Sir Ian Botham, surrounding ball tampering and associated derogatory comments.

Sir Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham was a genuine all-rounder – a big hitting batsman with a classical straight bat style and a medium paced swing bowler. A controversial figure both on and off the field, Beefy was involved in a number of well-publicised incidents, including a suspension from the National team for smoking cannabis. He also captained England in 12 Tests. His right arm medium bowling resulted in 383 wickets in 102 Tests, accumulating 5,200 runs. He has taken five wickets and scored a century in an innings of a same Test match on five occasions. He still holds the record for the highest number of wickets taken by an English bowler.

A prodigious fund-raiser, he is renowned for his Charity Walks and has raised over £12 million for Leukaemia Research. Sir Ian became Sir Ian in 2007, knighted for services to cricket and cancer charity work.

Imran signed my caricature during Pakistan’s 1988/89 tour of New Zealand. Sir Beefy graphed his in Wellington, when England played New Zealand in the 1992 World Cup at the Basin Reserve.

Drawing: All Round Good Guys Part 1 – Hadlee and Dev

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sir Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Sir Ian Botham were the top four cricket all-rounders of the 1980’s and early 90’s. They are all inductees into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. New Zealand’s ‘Paddles’ Hadlee is considered one of the great fast bowlers of all time. The 2002 edition of Wisden listed him as the second great test bowler in the history of the game. ESPN named him as the 12th Best Cricketer of all time in its Legends of Cricket selection.

Playing for the Black Caps from 1988-1994, his right-arm bowling was initially extremely fast, with devastating control. Over time his pace reduced but he gained more accuracy and movement off the wicket. The master of conventional ‘swing’ batting, he was the original ‘Sultan of Swing’, with his most potent delivery the unplayable outswinger. He was the first player to take 400 Test Wickets and after 86 Matches, ended his career with 431 at an average of 22.29. He scored 3,124 test runs, with two centuries including 151 not out. He was Knighted in 1990.

Kapil Dev replaced Sir Richard’s wicket-taking World Record in early 1994 and was Wisden’s Indian Cricketer of the Century (2002). Known for his grace and pace (involving a majestic leap at the crease) his right-arm outswinger and a potent inswinging yorker enabled him to take 434 test wickets before he retired in 1994. A naturally aggressive batsman, he scored more than 5000 runs in test matches and in ODIs and captained India to the 1983 World Cup Championship, beating the mighty West Indies who were looking for a hat trick of titles at Lords.

‘Paddles’ signed 15 limited edition prints as part of a set of New Zealand’s Best Cricket XI at his home in Christchurch in the mid 1990’s. They were sold for various charities. The caricature was signed at a sporting function in Invercargill in 1989. Kapil Dev signed his caricature on his final visit to New Zealand in 1994 during India’s one-off Test in Hamilton.

Tomorrow: Part 2, Khan and Botham

Drawing: Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean stunned the world with their steamy skating synchronicity at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in Yugoslavia to win the Gold medal for Great Britain in the ice dancing competition.

Performing the memorable ‘Boléro’ the pair became the highest scoring figure skaters of all time, receiving twelve perfect 6.0s and six 5.9s. They earned accross-the-board perfect scores for artistic impression in the free dance section – a feat that has never been matched.

In addition to their Olympic title, they have won 4 European and World Championships and 7 British.

They turned professional after the 1984 Olympics, winning the World Professional title on five occasions, but decided to return to the amateur arena for the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway due to a change in the eligibility rules.

Their routine had an assisted lift, which pushed the envelope of the rules, and despite winning the British and European Championships that year, the Olympic judges placed them third with a bronze medal.

Their 1984 gold medal winning performance has been rated as the eighth most memorable of the 100 Greatest Sporting Moments. They retired from competitive skating in 1998.

Jayne and Chris signed my sketch at the O2 Arena in Greenwich in April 2010, as part of their Dancing on Ice Tour.

Drawing: Valerie Adams

Posted on August 13, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Kiwi Valerie Adams made history on the 12 August 2013 to become the most successful shot putter in history with her fourth consecutive World Title in Moscow.

This installs Valerie as the most dominant athlete in the sport – male or female. Val is now unbeaten in a streak spanning 9 events across three years, holding every major shot put title.

She first won in Osaka in 2007, followed by titles in Berlin, Daegu, and now Moscow. She also secured two Olympic titles inbetween, although she was unable to stand on the dias and hear her national anthem because Nadzeya Ostapchuk from Belarus originally won the gold, but was disqualified for doping.

I was asked to provide a sketch of Valerie (then with the surname Vili) at a Celebration Luncheon in Invercargill, New Zealand in October 2007, which was presented to her. She loved it and signed a copy for me.

Drawing: Chiwetel Ejiofor

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Many say Chiwetel Ejiofor is “one of the best British actors of his generation”.

He has been recognised by the British Academy and Hollywood’s Foreign Press with BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations. Word is he may ad an Oscar nod to that impressive collection.

He had to leave his studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts after one year for a role in Stephen Spielberg’s Amistad. Not a bad foundation to launch a career that includes Love Actually, American Gangster and Dirty Pretty Things. Rumour has it he even turned down the role of Dr Who, with Matt Smith becoming the 11th Time Lord in 2009.

He is currently headlining Joe Wright’s sold out production of Aimé Cesaire’s A Season in the Congo at London’s Young Vic. He plays Patrice Lumumba – “a beer salesman who became the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Congo in June 1960. Seven days later the country gains independence from Belgian colonial rule. By January 1961. Lumumba was dead – executed in murky circumstances, involving Congolese dissenters and foreign powers. It’s a “decolonisation drama”chronicling a vibrant nation’s turbulent first years of freedom.

It marks Chiwetel’s return to the boards since he reprised his role as Othello (previously at the Bloomsbury Theatre in 1995) at the Donmar Warehouse with Ewan McGregor as Iago in 2007. Chiwetel won the Olivier Award for his performance.

His latest film 12 Years A Slave has attracted Oscar buzz. The historical drama, directed by Steve McQueen, is based on the autobiography of Solomon Northup, a free black man who was kidnapped in Washington DC in 1841 and sold into slavery for 12 years. Brad Pitt plays his part as well – producing and acting in the film.

Chiwetel signed my sketch at the Young Vic last Thursday before the evening performance.

Drawing: Lenny Henry in Fences

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Lenworth George Henry, known as Lenny, and better known as a comedian and co-founder of Comic Relief is now a ‘serious actor’.

Back in 2009 he dived in the classical deep end, taking on the titanic role of Othello as a Shakespearean novice to critical acclaim. He now takes on the massive lead role in the Pulitzer Prize winning drama, Fences in the West End.

Fences is the sixth in a series of ten plays by August Wilson on the Pittsburgh Cycle, that explore the African American experience in each decade of the twentieth century.

The story centres around 53 year Troy Moxson and his struggles with providing for his family and cheating death. He was a great baseball player in his youth but couldn’t make a living due to the colour barrier. Imprisoned for an accidental murder during a robbery, he now has a menial, but respectable job as a garbageman.

It previewed in March 1987 on Broadway at The 46th Street Theater and ran for 525 performances. James Earl Jones played Troy and won a Tony Award, along with Best Play, Best Direction and Best Actress (Mary Alice) nods. A revival in 2010 at The Cort Theatre featured Denzel Washington and Viola Davies in the lead roles. Both won Tony Awards for their performances and the productions won Best Revival of a play, after receiving an impressive 10 nominations.

In early 2013 Fences was revived by Theatre Royal Bath in the UK, starring Lenny in the lead role and directed by Paulette Randall, before transferring to the Duchess Theatre in London in June. Critical reception has focused on Lenny’s performance which has attracted wide acclaim. Paul Taylor from The Independent said, “the performance cements Henry’s status as a serious actor.”

Charles Spencer from The Telegraph said of Lenny, “He is, and I don’t use the word lightly, magnificent.”

Drawing: Shane Warne

Posted on August 10, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Test cricket’s two greatest wicket-takers are ‘spinners’ and aggressive lower order batsmen. Australia’s Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan (he prefers to spell it ‘Muralidaran’ because in Tamil the ‘t’ and the ‘d’ sound the same) from Sri Lanka are widely regarded as the greatest bowlers in the history of the game. ‘Warney’ was a right-arm leg-spin bowler who had the ability to turn the ball prodigiously with unnerving accuracy and variation. His signature delivery was the ‘flipper’ – a back spin ball squeezed out of the front of the hand with the thumb and first and second fingers. It drops slower and travels farther, with the extra pace and change of trajectory causing it to ‘pop’.

‘Murali’ was an off-spinner and a leading exponent of the ‘doosra’, spinning the ball in the opposite direction to a normal off break. His career was plagued with controversy and accusations of illegal bowling with his unique delivery style – an unusual hyperextension of his congenitally bent arm. In plain English, straightening the bowling arm during delivery.

Although the ICC cleared him of any illegality, based on biomechanical analysis, many remained unconvinced, including former Australian PM, John Howard, who called him a ‘chucker’. Australian crowds continually taunted him, yelling “No Ball!” after every delivery. It lead to a statement from Murali that he might skip future tours of the country. A ‘Spin Summit’ in July 2009 decided not to use the ‘doosra’ when teaching young bowlers because it was an illegal delivery.

However, this ‘doosra’ delivery was found to exceed the ICC’s elbow extension five degree limit by nine degrees. After research found that almost 99% of bowlers exceeded the limit, the ICC revised it to 15 degrees, allowing Murali to continue using it in his repertoire.

In spite of that, he became the highest wicket taker in both Test and ODIs, taking his 534th wicket in the latter in April 2011.

He took his 800th Test wicket with hi very last delivery against India in Galle in July 2010. Going into the game he needed 8 wickets to reach the milestone. With seven secured and the last two Indian batsmen at the crease, Murali had Pragyan Ojha caught by Mahela Jayawaedeue to take the final wicket and win the match. He ended taking the most 5 (67) and 10 (22) wicket hauls in a match and is the only player to do so against all Test playing countries.

‘Warney’ finished his Test career with 708 wickets at an average of 25.42 in 145 Tests between 1999 – 2007. In ODIs he took 293 scalps in 194 matches, including a man-of-the-match performance of 33-4 to win the World Cup against Pakistan at Lords in 1999. His career was not without controversy either, but for a number of off the field misdemeanours, including a on year ban from the game for taking a banned diuretic just before the 2003 World Cup.

He was one of five, and the only bowler, to be named in Wisden’s ‘Cricketers of the Century’ (2000). The others were Don Bradman, Sir Jack Hobbs, Sir Garfield Sobers and Sir Viv Richards. ‘Murali’ didn’t make the list, however in 2002 Wisden named him the greatest ever bowler based on statistical analysis. In 2007, the Warne-Muralidaran Trophy was unveiled for future test series between Australia and Sri Lanka.

Murali narrowly escaped death when a Tsunami struck Sri Lanka on Boxing Day 2004, arriving late to a prize giving ceremony in Seenigama. He immediately established the Foundation for Goodness to raise funds to help survivors rebuild homes, schools, sports facilities and computer centres, raising US$4million in the first three years. The ‘Tsunami ODI Cricket Series’ was one of the fundraising events. Shane Warne captained a World XI which included Murali. They played three games in New Zealand against the Black Caps. Both signed my sketches at the Christchurch match on 22 January 2005 and naturally I made a donation to the Appeal – a small price to pay to see the two greatest wicket-takers blowing in tandem.

Drawing: Jess Ennis

Posted on August 9, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Jess Ennis, or Mrs Jessica Ennis-Hill, as she likes to be called, since her nuptials in May this year, was one of the stars of London 2012 and the poster girl of British Athletics.

After the disappointment in 2008 when she was forced to miss the Olympics in Beijing due to a stress fracture in her right foot, Jess won the Heptathlon gold in London on what has been called “Super Saturday” (4 August) when three Team GB athletes became Olympic Champions in one night. Long jumper Greg Rutherford claimed gold only minutes after Jess destroyed the field in the 800m before Mo Farah powered to 10,000m glory.

It was Great Britain’s best day in the 104 year history of Olympic Competition, with six gold medals and a silver.

The ringmaster himself, Lord Coe said it was, “the greatest day of sport I have ever witnessed.”

Jess, a former European and World champion was awarded the CBE in the 2013 New Year honours and was named World Sportswoman of the Year at the Laureus World Sport Awards.

Unfortunately, she will not be able to regain the world title in Moscow this month due to an achilles injury but plans to compete at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow – a competition she has yet to win.

Jess signed my drawing in London while promoting her autobiography in November 2012.