Drawing: Jeff Goldblum and Mercedes Ruehl in The Prisoner of Second Ave

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The Old Vic’s artistic director lured Jeff Goldblum back to the London boards for its revival of Neil Simon’s 1971 black comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the Vaudeville Theatre from June to September in 2010. The actor made his London debut two years earlier when he co-starred with old friend Spacey at the Old Vic in David Mamet’s Speed the Plow.

The plot revolves around the escalating problems of Mel and Edna Edison, living on Second Avenue on the Upper East side of Manhattan in New York City. Mel has just lost his job, his air conditioning has broken, the city’s in the middle of a heat wave, his neighbours won’t shut up, the garbage collectors are striking and there are burglars on the prowl. It premiered at the Eugene O’Neill Theater on Broadway in 1971, winning three Tony’s, including Best Play and Best Director Mike Nicols.

In the 2010 London production, Edna was played by Oscar winner (The Fisher King) Mercedes Ruehl, in her London stage debut. She also won a Tony for Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers alongside Kevin Spacey.

Both Mercedes and Jeff were very friendly with the continual gathering of fans at the stage door, and signed my sketch after a July evening performance.

Drawing: Hattie Morahan in A Doll’s House

Posted on August 30, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Hattie Morahan’s performance as Nora Helmer in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House has been receiving rave reviews. The 1879 play’s critical attitude toward 19th century marriage norms courted controversy at the time. Hattie’s character is a mother of three, living as the ideal 19th century wife, but leaves her family in the end.

In 2006 it held the distinction of being the world’s most performed play. UNESCO’s ‘Memory of the World Programme’ was instigated in 1992 to safeguard the documentary heritage of humanity, calling for the preservation of valuable archival material. It has inscribed Ibsen’s autographed manuscripts of A Doll’s House in recognition of their historical value.

A new version, adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Carrie Cracknell, opened at London’s Young Vic Theatre in June 2012 with Hattie playing opposite Dominic Rowan. She won both the Evening Standard and Critic’s Circle Awards for her performance and was nominated for an Olivier Award.

The production transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre this month for a limited season, where Hattie signed my sketch after Tuesday’s evening performance and Q&A session.

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: 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: Kathleen Turner and Bill Irwin in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Posted on July 26, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Kathleen Turner is the voice of the animated bunny Jessica Rabbit – Roger’s voluptuous wife. She is best remembered for the classic line “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way,” in 1988. In 2005 she played the role of Martha (I’m not bad, I just act that way) in the Broadway revival of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Bill Irwin played George, opposite her. Both were nominated for a Tony Award, with Bill winning the coveted prize. The production transferred to London’s Apollo Theatre the following year. Kathleen was certainly a big drawcard with sell out performances. I sent this sketch to the theatre. It was returned, signed by both, with a nice note from Bill thanking me. So I guess, I’m not bad… I just draw that way!

Drawing: Johnny Depp

Posted on July 25, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

John Christopher Depp II, abbreviated to ‘Johnny‘, is not short of a bob or two. His films have grossed over $3.1 billion alone at the US Box Office, and $7.6 billion worldwide. He is reported to be the highest paid actor of all time.

I sketched this quick portrait, which he signed on his walk about in the current British heatwave at the UK premiere of The Lone Ranger at the Odeon Theatre in London’s Leicester Square. With his wealth, he could do a sequel entitled The Loan Arranger….

Drawing: Maggie Smith

Posted on July 22, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van opened at London’s Queen’s Theatre in late 1999 with Dame Maggie Smith in the lead role as Miss Shepherd, an eccentric bag lady who lived in a van.

Bennett first became aware of ‘the lady in the van’ in the late sixties. She died in 1989, after spending two decades living in her broken down Bedford van in his driveway. She could most kindly be called eccentric, hearing voices and the Virgin Mary appeared to her on a regular basis. The play is the story… or, more accurately, a series of incidents… between the playwright and the delusional, failed nun, Miss S, who was reclusive but not opposed to publicity.

Dame Maggie is once again nominated for another primetime Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress in the ITV drama Downton Abbey. She is one of the few people to win the ‘triple crown of acting’ (Emmy, Oscar and Tony). Her impressive list includes seven BAFTAS, two Oscars, three Golden Globes and a Tony. She is the only person to receive an Academy Award for playing an Academy Award nominee – Diana Barrie in California Suite (1978).

Despite being nominated six times, she has never won the Olivier Award, the highest honour in British theatre. Her last nomination was in 2000 for her role as Miss Shepherd.

I was fortunate enough to see the play just before it ended in July 2000. Dame Maggie signed my sketch last week at her London office.

Drawing: Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi

Posted on July 17, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Anton Burg’s Bette and Joan played the Arts Theatre in London’s West End from May till June in 2011. It starred Anita Dobson as Joan Crawford and Greta Scacchi as Bette Davis. Based on the real life legendary feud between the two stars, the play shows them at a low point in their careers when they meet on the set of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? which became a surprise hit and propelled them back to stardom.

Both Anita and Greta signed my original and kept copies of the sketch and sent me a thank you letter… so I guess they like it!

Drawing: Scarlett Strallen, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Leigh Zimmerman in A Chorus Line

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Marvin Hamlisch’s A Chorus Line is one of the most successful musicals of all time. The story of seventeen dancers auditioning for a spot on a chorus line, the action takes place on the bare stage of a theatre.

It opened in July 1975 and became a box office and critical hit, winning 9 Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It ran for 6,137 performances and a West End production started in 1976, winning the Olivier for Best Musical. A number of revivals have followed, the most recent at the London Palladium, which opened earlier this year to rave reviews. It was booked to continue into 2014, but posted early closing notices for the end of August.

The female leads – Scarlett Strallen (Cassie), Leigh Zimmerman (Sheila) and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (Diana) all signed my sketches at the stage door and requested copies. I gave them redrawn originals. Leigh won this year’s Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.