Drawing: John McEnroe

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

John McEnroe is a legend, to put it mildly. Perhaps the most iconic player in the history of tennis, and only one of a handful from his generation to have transcended the sport.

Famous for his temper as for his precocious talent, he is without doubt one of tennis’ all time greats with 17 Grand Slam titles – including 7 Singles (3 Wimbledons and 4 US Opens).

He became the top ranked singles player in the world on March 3, 1980 and spent a total of 170 weeks at number one between 1980 and 1985.

John has also been called “the greatest doubles player of all time,” forming a powerful partnership with Peter Fleming. They won 57 men’s doubles titles including four at Wimbledon and three at the US Open.

On the few occasions I have met John he has been extremely pleasant and has happily signed. After beating Wayne Ferreira in his opening game at the Statoil Masters at the Royal Albert Hall – a title he has won on four previous occasions – he signed and dedicated my sketch.

Drawing: Simon Callow in Being Shakespeare

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Actor, musician, writer and theatre director Simon Callow excels in every facet.

Apparently he became an actor after sending a fan letter to Sir Laurence Olivier, the then artistic director of the National Theatre. A response suggested he join the box office staff and realised acting was for him after watching actors rehearse.

He signed my sketch at the Trafalgar Studios in London in July 2011 before a performance of his one man play Being Shakespeare. It was revived at the same theatre in March 2012, prior to a run in New York and Chicago.

Drawing: Jane Horrocks

Posted on December 2, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Jane Horrocks is probably best known as ‘Bubble’ in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous and her distinctive voice with its strong Lancashire accents. She is also an acclaimed stage actress. While appearing in Road, directed by Jim Cartwright, she would warm up by doing singing impressions of Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and Ethel Merman.

Impressed by her mimicry, he wrote The Rise and Fall of Little Voice for her. She was nominated for an Olivier Award in 1992 for her performance, directed by then boyfriend Sam Mendes. She reprised the role for the 1998 screen adaption Little Voice, which also earned her nominations for a Golden Globe, BAFTA and Screen Actors Guild Award.

Jane kindly signed by sketch at the Young Vic stage door, where she was starring in the title role in Annie Get Your Gun in December 2009.

Drawing: Robert Vaughn in Twelve Angry Men at the Garrick Theatre

Posted on December 1, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

One of my boyhood TV heroes was Napoleon Solo in the classic 60s spy series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. So it was great to eventually meet Robert Vaughn… albeit 40 something years later in London this weekend.

I am also a big fan of Hustle, in which Robert plays the veteran grifter Albert Stroller. He’s been one of the biggest stars in the business for the past 50 years. Robert was gunman Lee in the Magnificent Seven (1960) and is now the only surviving member of the title cast. He has been nominated for the Oscar (The Young Philadelphians), a BAFTA (Bullitt) and four Golden Globes. He won an Emmy for his portrayal of George Washington in 1978. He also has a PhD in Communication from the University of Southern California – an actor and an academic.

Robert is currently applying his intellect on the West End stage at the Garrick Theatre in Reginald Rose’s jury drama Twelve Angry Men, playing the wise old juror #9, identified late in the play as ‘McCardle’. He signed my sketch of his character going in for Saturday’s matinee performance.

Drawing: Kyle Soller in A Long Day’s Journey Into Night at the Apollo Theatre

Posted on November 30, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Kyle Soller is an American actor, living in London having graduated from RADA in 2008. His breakthrough year was in 2011 when he won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Newcomer for stellar performances in The Glass Menagerie and The Government Inspector, both at the Young Vic and The Faith Machine at the Royal Court.

In 2012 he performed the role of Edmund in Eugene O’Neill’s harrowing autobiographical play A Long Day’s Journey Into Night at the Apollo Theatre with David Suchet and Laurie Metcalf. The sketch is based on that character and he signed it for me at the theatre. Kyle is currently appearing in Marlowe’s Edward II at the National.

Drawing: Jude Law in Henry V at The Noël Coward Theatre

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The final play in the Michael Grandage season at the Noël Coward Theatre is Henry V, starring Jude Law. Jude signed and dedicated my drawing on Wednesday night, after a preview performance of Henry V.

Drawing: Miranda Raison in Anne Boleyn at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Shakespeare’s Globe commissioned Howard Brenton to write a new play – Anne Boleyn. It premiered at the Globe Theatre on 24 July 2010 with Miranda Raison in the title role as Henry VIIIs notorious second wife. It received high critical acclaim and won Best New Play at the What’s On Stage Theatregoers Choice Awards in 2011. Sell out performances resulted in its return for two months in 2011.

Not some dusty, historical drama, it was described as a tale full of life and humour, adventure and romance, all tinged with sadness. It is a celebration of a great English heroine who was a significant force in the political and religious fight leading to the English reformation. While sharp intelligence, political acumen and forward manners are desirable in a mistress, they were at the time unacceptable in a wife… the rest, as they say, is ‘herstory’.

Miranda is best known for her role as Jo Portman in the British television series Spooks (a show Howard Brenton also wrote scripts for). She also played Anne Boleyn in Henry VIII in the same season at the Globe.

The play opens with Miranda addressing the audience holding her severed head, rendered in my sketch which Miranda kindly signed. She also sent me a lovely note, thanking me for a “wonderful drawing”.

Drawing: Jodie Whittaker and Christopher Eccleston in Antigone at The National Theatre

Posted on November 24, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sophocles’ great Greek tragedy Antigone, written in 441 BC, received an acclaimed update at the National Theatre in London last year.

The two main characters, Antigone and Creon, were played by Jodie Whittaker and Christopher Eccleston respectively.

Both Jodie and Christopher signed my sketch at the National in June 2012.

Drawing: Janie Dee in Noises Off at the Novello Theatre

Posted on November 23, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Janie Dee is the charming and versatile multi-award winning British actress, singer and musical theatre star. She won the three most prestigious awards in British Theatre, the Olivier, the Evening Standard and the Critic’s Circle Award for Best Actress in a Play. In addition, she has also collected the Obie and Theatre World Best Newcomer Award in New York for her legendary performance as Jacie Triplethree in Alan Ayckbourn’s Comic Potential, which was written especially for her. Janie also won the Oliver for Best Supporting Actress in a musical for her performance as Carrie Pipperidge in Nicholas Hytner’s acclaimed production of Rodger and Hammerstein’s Carousel at the National Theatre.

She signed a previous sketch I drew of the Noises Off cast at the Old Vic in late 2011. Due to popular demand it transferred to the Novello Theatre, where she signed this drawing. She remembered the previous sketch and was very complimentary, offering me free tickets to her cabaret show at the Hippodrome the following month.

Drawing: Eve Best in The Duchess Of Malfi at The Old Vic

Posted on November 21, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Eve Best is one of the most compelling British stage actors of her generation, with an unforgettable run of performances over the past decade and a half, including an Olivier Award for Hedda Gabler.

Earlier this year, after a stint in the long running American TV comedy Nurse Jackie, she returned to the London stage – to be more precise, Shakespeare’s Globe – for her directorial debut, with the “Scottish Play”.

Eve signed my sketch in June 2012 at the Old Vic Theatre while she was performing in The Duchess of Malfi