Drawing: Michael Grandage

Posted on March 8, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Anyone raised in Penzance, Cornwall must end up in some form of theatrical vocation and that’s exactly what happened to Michael Grandage, who not only works in theatre but is one of Britain’s leading directors and producers. He has won over 13 awards, including an Olivier and a Tony. From 2002 to 2012 he succeeded Sam Mendes as the Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse.

He then established the Michael Grandage Company with James Bierman. They have just completed a fifteen month season of plays at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End aimed at reaching a new generation of theatregoers through pricing and access with 100,000 £10 seats. Michael directed all five productions, including Privates on Parade with Simon Russell Beale, John Logan’s new play Peter and Alice with Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw, Daniel Radcliffe in The Cripple of Inishmaan and two Shakespeare plays, A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Sheridan Smith and David Walliams, finishing with Jude Law as Henry V.

Michael is currently taking a break from the boards to direct Genius with Colin Firth and Michael Fassbender.

Drawing: Rose Byrne

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Australian actress Rose Byrne played the leading role in The Goddess of 1967 which won her the Best Actress award at the 2000 Venice Film Festival. She is probably best known for her role as Ellen Parsons alongside Glenn Close in the television series Damages (2007-2012) which earned her two Golden Globe and two Emmy nominations. She also starred in Insidious, X-Men: First Class and Bridesmaids.

Rose signed my sketch on a chilly, wintery evening on the red carpet for the I Give It A Year premiere at the Vue Cinema in Leicester Square on 24 January 2013.

Drawing: Juliet Stevenson in Happy Days at The Young Vic

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Critics are unanimous about Juliet Stevenson’s latest stage incarnation in Samuel Beckett’s HAPPY DAYS at the Young Vic. Playing Winnie,a woman tragically aware of her mental plight, requires the actress to be buried in a mound of sand. Sarah Hemming of the Financial Times wrote, “Lear in the storm, Winnie in the sandheap: Two of the greatest stage metaphors for the human condition and two of the most challenging roles for an actor.” The Guardian’s Michael Billington said Juliet “gives a remarkable performance.” and Henry Hutchings of the Evening Standard adds, she “brings grace, poise and a crazed resilience to the incurably optimestic Winnie.” Extra performances have been added due to demand with the play finishing 8 March.

Drawing: Sarah Greene in The Cripple of Inishmaan at The Noël Coward Theatre

Posted on March 3, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Martin McDonagh’s cruel and disgracefully funny The Cripple of Inishmaan premiered in 1997 and received its first major revival as part of Michael Grandage’s star-studded first season of plays at the Noël Coward Theatre during the summer of 2013.

Irish actress Sarah Greene plays Helen, the love (albeit secret) interest of the disabled hero Billy – a feisty village wild girl who can’t be restrained from “pegging” eggs at people, especially despised priests, “… getting clergymen groping your arse doesn’t take much skill.”

Drawing: Pádraic Delaney and Gary Lilburn in The Cripple of Inishmaan

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Pádraic Delaney and Gary Lilburn complete my set of The Cripple of Inishmaan sketches. The third in the series of Michael Grandage’s five plays at the Noël Coward Theatre in London. It transfers for a Broadway run in April.

Pádraic international breakthrough came in 2006 as Irish revolutionary Teddy O’Donovan in Ken Loach’s The Wind That Shakes The Barley, which won the Palme D’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. He followed up his role in Inishmaan with a consecutive shift in the following Michael Grandage Company play A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the twin roles of Oberon and Thesus.

Gary can currently be seen in the critically acclaimed Oscar nominated Philomena with Judi Dench

Drawing: Victoria Pendleton

Posted on March 1, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Nine world titles, two Olympic golds and a silver earned former British track cyclist Victoria Pendleton the nickname ‘Queen Victoria’.

Victoria dominated the individual pursuit competition form 2005 – 2012. She said she started cycling the same time she learned to walk because her father was a keen cyclist. For her 30th birthday she got a tattoo on her right wrist that reads “Today is the greatest day I’ve ever known” – a lyric by the Smashing Pumpkins

Drawings: Pat Shortt and June Watson in The Cripple of Inishmaan

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Irish actor, comedian and musician Pat Shortt plays the garrulous gossip Johnny Pateenmike who peddles rumours and applies himself to finishing off his 90 year old mother – played by the wonderful June Watson – with alcohol in Michael Grandage’s dark, politically incorrect 1997 comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan at the Noel Coward Theatre.

Better known as the crazy Tom in Father Ted, who was always wearing a tshirt with the slogan “I shot JR”, he also appears on a postage stamp as Josie, from the award-winning film Garage.

Both Pat & June signed my sketch in July 2013 and will join the rest of the cast in the Broadway transfer this April.

Drawing: Sarah Greene and Conor MacNeill in The Cripple of Inishmaan

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Irish actors Sarah Greene and Conor MacNeill played the feisty siblings in The Cripple of Inishmaan – the third of five plays in the Michael Grandage season at London’s Noël Coward Theatre during the Summer of 2013. Sarah played ‘Slippy’ Helen, the egg throwing, foul-mouthed object of Cripple Billy’s desires. “I shouldn’t laugh at you Billy… but I will.” Conor plays her mischievous younger brother, Bartley with a passion for sweeties and telescopes.

Sarah and Conor signed my first sketch in July, when I suddenly noticed that, “it’s Mintios, not Mintos!”

So, I did another drawing with the correct spelling, which Conor was happy to graph. I gave him a copy, then realised I had spelt his surname ‘O’Neill’ instead of ‘MacNeill.’

The play was magical – there was, after all, a wizard in the title role – and it cast a mis-spell over me. Both will be a part of the returning cast when Inishmaan takes on the Broadway boards in April.

Drawing: Daniel Radcliffe as Cripple Billy in The Cripple of Inishmaan

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Daniel Radcliffe picked up Best Actor from the fan voted What’sOnStage Awards over the weekend for his role as Cripple Billy Claven in Martyn McDonagh’s dark comedy The Cripple of Inishmaan, in Michael Grandage’s sold out run last Summer at the Noël Coward Theatre.

Described by The Mail on Sunday as, “the most politically incorrect play in the West End… and probably the funniest”. On discussing perfecting his Irish accent, Daniel said his father’s from Northern Ireland and he was “pretty pleased”.

He will reprise the role along with all the other cast members at the Cort Theatre on Broadway this Spring for a strictly limited engagement.

Daniel was excellent, both on and off stage. Every night after his performance he met the hordes of fans at the stage door. When he signed this sketch he apologised, “I’m sorry my signature’s not very good tonight.” Given he writes his full name out with the tangled ‘liffe’ at the end, I think he does exceptionally well, and as a collector it’s good to get all variation.

Drawing: Gillian Hanna and Ingrid Craigie in The Cripple of Inishmaan

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Gillian Hanna and Ingrid Craigie played the sisters and aunties to ‘Cripple Billy’ in Michael Grandage’s The Cripple of Inishman at the Noel Coward Theatre from June til August last year.

It was part of the Michael Grandage season of 5 plays and featured Daniel Radcliffe in the title role. Gillian and Ingrid have picked up a number of award nominations for their brilliant performances, including last weekend’s WhatsOnStage Awards in London. The play will transfer to Broadway in April.