Here is the tale (and sketch) of Sweeney Todd…. with Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sweeney Todd Emma Thompson Bryn Terfel

Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel are two of the best entertainers in the business and quite simply two of the nicest. Both had signed separate sketches as the leads in last years semi-staged version of Stephen Sondheim’s most gruesome musical SWEENEY TODD:THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET at New York’s Lincoln Center. A reprisal of that production for a two-week run at the London Coliseum this month gave me an opportunity to draw them together and get both to sign it.

It was Emma’s return to the West End after a 26 year absence and officially billed as ‘concert staging’ with a full orchestra as the centre piece, but director Lonny Price serves up a few surprises. Both productions received rave reviews.

The Telegraph’s Rupert Christiansen summed up the sentiments. ‘Terfel’s Demon Barber …continues to command the role with a laconic intensity which makes Todd’s monomania all the more mesmerising …singing with steely restraint and a welcome lack of rasp or rant he plays a Byronic wanderer with a tormented inner life. An even bigger pleasure is provided by Emma Thompson…she makes a terrific Mrs Lovett, hitting just the right balance between endearing naiveté and ruthless amorality, as well as singing meticulously.”

As you can imagine having such stellar cast members attracts a lot of interest as the large numbers of fans gathering at the stage door testified. I decided to wander around to the front and try my luck and struct the jackpot. Emma, Bryn,Lonny and the cast were heading up St Martin’s Lane for a well-deserved supper. With some trepidation, I interrupted their progress with my graph request. Playing two of the nastiest stage characters had not tarnished their ‘nicest people in show business ‘ tag and they happily signed.

Drawing: David Calder, The Nether

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

David Calder

Nominated for four Olivier Awards, including Best New Play, Jennifer Haley’s haunting sci-fi drama about the darker side of the internet The Nether transferred to the West End last month from its sell out run at The Royal Court.

One of the other nominations in Jeremy Herrin’s immaculate production is David Calder for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. He plays Doyle, a frail science professor and family man whose alter ego is a prim young nine year old girl called Iris, who hangs out with male visitors and lets them chop her head off as often as they like. Just your average fun night out at the theatre, then.

David’s extensive stage and screen credits include King Lear, Macbeth, Titanic, Hustle, Midsummer Murders and the Bond film The World is Not Enough. “This is mind bending, it’s ingenious and it’s ethically challenging…. superbly cast and stunningly designed.”

After The Nether, which finishes on the 25 April at The Duke of York’s Theatre, David slips back in time, playing Winston Churchill in The Audience at The Apollo.

Signed Drawing: Beverley Knight, Memphis

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Beverley Knight

Multi-award winning British soul queen Beverley Knight has been nominated for Best Actress in a Musical at this year’s Olivier Awards for her leading performance as the aspiring Felicia Farr in Memphis, at the Shaftesbury Theatre.

It’s set in the underground nightclubs of segregated Tennessee and focuses on Huey Calhoun, a white DJ played by Killian Donnelly who introduces the ‘devil’s music’ rhythm and blues to the white folks in the early 50s and 60s.

The production, which opened in October last year, has garnered an incredible nine nominations, including Best New Musical. It won a Tony Award four years ago and won the 2015 WhatsOnStage Best New Musical Award.

Beverley made her West End debut playing Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard in September 2013, with a WhatsOnStage Award nomination. In 2007 Beverley was awarded an MBE by the Queen for her services to British music and charity work. She was made an honorary Doctor of Music two years earlier from the University of Wolverhampton.

In his four star review, The Guardian’s Michael Billington wrote “Beverley Knight… is one of the best soul singers around and she duly combines charisma and power.”

Signed sketch: Victoria Azarenka

Posted on March 31, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Victoria Azarenka

Former world number one tennis player Victoria Azarenka has been the Australian Open singles champion twice (2012-2013) and has also won two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles – The US Open (2007) with Max Mirnyi and the French Open (2008) with Bob Byran.

She also collected two medals at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, winning the mixed doubles gold with Max and a bronze in the singles.

The six foot Belarusian has won 17 titles and is the 5th in all time ranking, earning US$24,484,172 in prize money.

Her game is based on controlled aggression and a strong two handed backhand. A foot injury forced Victoria to miss a large part of the 2014 season, resulting in her ranking slip, but she’s now on the comeback trail with a solid showing at this year’s Australian Open.

A fellow ‘grapher got Victoria to sign my sketch at this year’s Indian Wells Tournament in the Californian desert.

Sketch: Radiant Vermin, Soho Theatre

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Radiant Vermin

Radiant Vermin is Philip Ridley’s new play about homelessness is an allegorical satire about the housing crisis that TimeOut says, “unfolds like a modern day Grimm tale” where a young couple ware prepared to go to the extremes to obtain their dream home.

Matt Trueman (WhatsOnStage) calls it a, “Thatcherite fairytale… unquestionably the more sophisticated picture of our crocked property market.”

The young couple – Olllie and Jill – played by BBC Three Pramface‘s Sean Michael Verey and Game of Thrones Gemma Whelan, are helped by Miss Dee, a modern day fairy godmother (Amanda Daniels).

Henry Hitchings said of their performances, “Fierce energy… dazzling performances.”

“The most precise, intense and breathtaking piece of performance, masterfully directed,” said The Stage critic Natasha Tripney

Radiant Vermin continues at London’s Soho Theatre until 12 April 2015 where Gemma, Sean and Amanda signed my sketch.

Sketch: Susie Essman, Soho Theatre

Posted on March 28, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Susie Essman

The Bronx-born American stand up comedian, writer and television producer Susan ‘Susie’ Essman was back by popular demand at London’s Soho Theatre following her smash hit sell out run in 2013.

She is no shrinking violet and is liberal with the vernacular invectives on stage and screen. The LA Times said Susie is “The most lyrical purveyor of profanity on television. She makes the entire cast of The Sopranos look like rank amateurs. It is really a gift.”

Susie is best known for her role as the Sassy Susie Green on the groundbreaking critically acclaimed HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm and the character’s hilarious bouts of withering sarcasm and uninhibited insults, including her catchphrase, “you fat f*ck!”

British critic Dominic Cavendish said Susie is “funny, frank and fearless”. She described Downton Abbey as “a piece of sh*t”.

It was great to meet Susie and her husband Jim after the first of her three night gigs at the Soho Theatre where she signed this sketch. I am pleased to say that in person she is the exact opposite of her TV namesake and stand up persona.

Sketch: Amy Lennox, 9 to 5 The Musical

Posted on March 27, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

amy lennox

Scottish actress Amy Lennox shot to fame in 2007 when she played Liesel, the eldest daughter of the von Trapp family in the West End production of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium.

In 2010 she appeared in Legally Blonde The Muscial at the Savoy Theatre as Margot opposite Sheridan Smith as Elle Woods. While Sheridan was ill for a month, Amy took over the lead role.

In 2013 Amy toured the UK with the musical 9 to 5. She “had a big bra to fill” playing the feisty southern secretary Doralee Roberts, the part made famous by Dolly Parton in the award-winning stage version of the 1980 film which also starred Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin.

She’s always asked “Am I doing an impersonation of her (Dolly), but I am Doralee Roberts, not Dolly Parton, although it has a massive essence of her in it. Visually, the iconic things are there – the hair, make-up, lovely warm personality and boobs.” Amy told Scotland’s Daily Record. For the record, for the fake ‘famous chest’ she’s corseted with a WonderBra sewn into a Double D bra with chicken fillets with a bit of shading.

Amy signed this sketch of her as Doralee when I left it at the New Wimbledon Theatre where she played the title role in festive panto Cinderella last Christmas.

Sketch: Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Playhouse Theatre

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Women on the Verge

The brilliant Tamsin Greig and Haydn Gwynne have both been nominated for this year’s Olivier Awards for their respective roles in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.

Previous Olivier winner (for Much Ado About Nothing) in 2007, Tamsin has been nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for her musical debut as Pepa, the lead role in the hilarious adaption of Pedro Almodovar’s Oscar nominated 1988 cult film which, following the Tony nominated production on Broadway, took to the Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End late last year. For her performance as the bitter ex-wife Lucia, Haydn received her second Olivier nomination after her previous nod for her role as Mrs Wilkinson in Billy Elliot. She reprised the role on Broadway, earning a Tony Award nomination.

The Guardian’s Michael Billington’s review included: “there is strong support from Anna Skellern, who seductively suggest hat Candela’s (her character) sexual abandon is more a product of untidiness than promiscuity and from Seline Hizli as a putative bride induced to orgasm by the valium laced gazpacho.”

I sent this sketch of the four to Haydn who not only signed it, but got the other three to do the same. Originally booked for a limited season, the production has now extended for three months until 22 August 2015.

Sketch: Kill Me Now, Park Theatre

Posted on March 24, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Kill Me Now

Greg Wise returned to the stage for the first time in 17 years in the UK premiere of Brad Fraser’s dark father-son story Kill Me Now, in the Park Theatre’s intimate Park 200 auditorium in Finsbury Park, London.

It’s advertised as a dark comedy, but it’s more like a tragedy about the intimate and unsentimental portrait of a family confronting disability, punctuated with glimpses of wit and humour.

Greg plays Jake, a widower who has abandoned a promising career as a writer to look after his disabled son, Joey. It’s a physically demanding role which he plays with, “noble sensitivity… his interactions with his son are often agonising,” said The Evening Standard’s Henry Hutchings in his four star review.

The comparatively unknown Oliver Gomm (Joey) is a revelation, with Hutchings comparing him to Daniel Day-Lewis in My Left Foot and recent Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne in The Theory of Everything. He described Charlotte Harwood’s performance as Jake’s tough, but vulnerable sister as “robust”.

I sent this sketch to Greg, Oliver and Charlotte who all kindly signed it for me. Kill Me Now finishes this Sunday, 29 March 2015.

Sketch: Penelope Wilton in Taken At Midnight, Theatre Royal Haymarket

Posted on March 23, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

penelope wilton

Returning to the West End after a five year absence, Downton Abbey star Penelope Wilton reprised her role as Irmgard Litten in Taken at Midnight when it transferred to the Theatre Royal Haymarket from a sold out season in Chichester last month.

Putting maternal love on centre stage, Mark Hayhurst’s 2014 play is based on the life of the young German Jewish lawyer Hans Litten who’s brilliant cross examination of Adolf Hitler in the trial of a band of murderous SA men in 1931 led to his arrest by the Nazis in 1933.

The play explores Irmgard’s five year struggle to secure her son’s release. The Guardian said, “Gripping, Penelope Wilton shines in Mark Hayhurst’s deeply engrossing drama about the high price of resisting tyranny.”

Penelope has been nominated for six Olivier Awards, including this year’s shortlist for her “profoundly moving performance” (The Sunday Times) as Litten’s mother.