Sketch: Vote for Me: A Musical Debate

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Vote for me

After an off-Broadway run to packed houses at the Roy Aria’s Stages last summer, Vote For Me – a musicalised presidential debate – hit London this month. The musical was commissioned by Robyn Goodman, the producer of Avenue Q, written by Drew Fornarola and Scott Elmegreen, and directed by Dom O’Hanlon. Candidates dance and sing their way through the three ring circus of American politics and the audience actually cast their votes to help determine the outcome of the show.

The show is staged by The London Theatre Workshop combining commercial theatre, workshops, staged readings and education for up and coming artists and musicians. It’s ‘home’ is a brand new 65 seat studio theatre located above the impressive Eel Brook pub in South West London. It’s an independent theatre company that doesn’t receive funding so is reliant on ticket sales. My wife and I were guests of Official Theatre on the evening of the UK Election, so we got to vote twice that day!

The US presidential race is between Senator Buddy Rounsaville (Hans Rye) and Governor Janet Tilghman (Emily Lynne), supported by their respective spouses Amy (Jennie Jacobs) and Roger (Arvid Larson) and advisor (Joe Leather) and TV host Robyn (Lucy Grainger).

The show is a 90 minute wurlitzer with a cast that is one of the most energetic and enthusiastic I’ve ever seen – both on and off the stage. I drew this sketch after the show and went back before a Sunday matinee ‘cornering’ them going in. They were all very friendly and happily signed the drawing. Life may imitate art with the US Presidential Elections next year and the possibility of Hillary Clinton in the mix.

I even got to chat with Dom the director and the two writers Drew and Scott, who had just flown out from the States for a Q&A. Vote for Me runs until 23 May at London Theatre Workshop, above the Eel Brook pub, near Fulham Broadway station.

Sketch: Finty Williams

Posted on May 16, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Finty Williams

Tara Cressida Frances “Finty” Williams always seemed destined to have an acting career with both parents – Dame Judi Dench and Michael Williams – well established in the business. In a Telegraph interview Dame Judi said they did try and dissuade Finty from following them, but “Finty is very much her own woman”.

She has appeared on screen with her mother a number of times, including Mrs Brown (1997), The Importance of Being Earnest (2002) and the award winning TV series Cranford (2007).

I first met Finty at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London when she featured in Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce in October 2009. She played Kate, who WhatsOnStage described as, “a ball of exuberant energy,” which this sketch is based on. Dame Judi and Finty joined an all star cast of 50 in Donmar Warehouse’s The Vote this month. Set in a fictional London polling station during the final ninety minutes before the polls close in this year’s general election, the final performance on the actual polling Day (7 May ) was televised live on More4.

They play, appropriately, mother and daughter who stroll on stage at 9.42pm and remain there for the final 18 minutes until curtain call. Even though things go a little hectic after the election night show, Flinty stopped to sign my sketch for me.

Sketch: Matt Tedford as Margaret Thatcher, Queen of Soho

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Matt Tedford

The Huffington Post said, “Matthew Tedford gives a five star performance as the late Prime Minister,” in its review of the award winning actor, comedian and writer’s Margaret Thatcher, Queen of Soho which played the Leicester Square Theatre in London earlier this year.

Co-written with Jon Brittain, the camp comic cabaret is a re-imagining of the events leading up to the passing of the controversial Section 28 in 1988 that banned the ‘promotion’ of homosexuality in schools. Matt’s ‘Maggie’ takes a wrong turn in Soho and ends up as an unlikely drag diva. Yes… the Iron Lady becomes a gay rights championing cabaret superstar!

Margaret Thatcher still remains the United Kingdom’s longest running and only female Prime Minister (1979-1990). Before running the country, she was a research chemist and actually invented the chemical that makes soft serve ice cream…

The show played to full houses around the UK and Ireland, culminating in a total sell out season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival last year. Not only did Matt sign, but his alter ego did as well, bonus!

Sketch: MyAnna Buring

Posted on May 13, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

MyAnna

British based Swedish actress MyAnna Buring played Tanya of the Denali Coven in the hugely popular Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part I in 2012, and has had significant supporting roles, including BBC drama series Blackout and Ripper Street; she also joined the cast of Downton Abbey, playing the role of maid Edna Braithwaite in the 2012 Christmas special episode and the fourth season.

This month she hit the London stage as part of an all-star cast of fifty, including Dame Judi Dench, Timothy West, Mark Gatiss, Catherine Tate and Nina Sosanya of The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse.

Conceived by James Graham and director Josie Rourke, the play is set in a London Polling station during the final 90 minutes before the polls closed.

It shines light on the diverse, diligent and often hilarious individuals who turn the unglamorous settings into places where history is made. It was broadcast live after two weeks of previews on More4 on 7 May, the night of the General Election.

It’s such a large cast that half of them occupied a changing room across the road from the stage door alley way. I found out from one of the other ‘graphers that MyAnna was in that half, so positioned myself in the dark alley with my sketch. She was lovely and liked the sketch enough to sign it and write a nice comment. I would vote for her.

Sketch: Stefanie Powers

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Stefanie Powers is widely known as Jennifer Hart, her role opposite Robert Wagner as half of a married couple of amateur sleuths in the 1979-84 series Hart to Hart. She received two Emmy and five Golden Globe Award nominations.

She overcame lung cancer and went on to star in an American production of Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s Sunset Boulevard, Stefanie has also appeared on the London stage on numerous occasions. Her latest was part of an all-star cast of Follies.

The iconic show was revived for two performances only at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the 85th birthday of legendary composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.

“I don’t have one, but if I had a bucket list, being on stage in the Royal Albert Hall would certainly be among the top ten choices,” she said.

I left this sketch, which depicts Stefanie rehearsing for Follies and an earlier portrait, at the Royal Albert Hall and she signed, dedicated and returned it for me.

Sketch: Bomber’s Moon at Trafalgar Studios

Posted on May 9, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Bomber's Moon

“One of the funniest and most touching moments to be seen on the current London stage… it’s a masterpiece” said The Stage about William Ivory’s Bomber’s Moon which is playing at London’s Trafalgar Studios until 23 May. Direct from a critically acclaimed run at the Park Theatre, this cross-generational two hander is directed by Matt Aston.

James Bolam plays ailing former RAF gunner Jimmy, living in a nursing home and Steve John Shepherd is his new care assistant David. Both have been through the wars. One is fighting the battle of infirmity and the injustices of ageing, the other is desperate to lay to rest the past and build a new further. Both are fighting for a lasting peace.

Thankfully James was the complete opposite to his cantankerous character and really liked the sketch but I missed Steve on the first attempt because he used the front door.

Being in two places at the same time would certainly be an advantage in this business. Still, I was in the right place the next day after a matinee and Steve completed the mission.

Sketch: Lorna Want and Ian McIntosh in Beautiful

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Lorna Want and Ian McIntosh in Beautiful

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, the untold story of the legendary singer’s journey from school girl to superstar, opened at London’s Aldwych Theatre earlier this year.

It was nominated for eight Olivier Awards, winning two at last month’s ceremony for Katie Brayben in the title role and Lorna Want as Cynthia Weil, who along with her partner Barry Mann became Carole King’s songwriting peers and best friends. Also included in the Olivier nominations was Ian McIntosh’s performance as Mann in the Best Supporting Role in a Musical catagory. The show includes some of their songs, such as Up On The Roof and On Broadway.

I left this drawing of Lorna and Ian in their respective roles at the theatre and it came back, signed and dedicated. Beautiful!

Sketch: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Hay Fever at the Noel Coward Theatre

Posted on May 7, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Hay Fever Phoebe Waller Bridge

I first met the exquisite Phoebe Waller-Bridge during the revival of Noel Coward’s Hay Fever at the Noel Coward Theatre in February 2012, where she was playing the “tittering nymph” Sorel Bliss. Amongst her dialogue is the line, “I should like to be a fresh, open air girl with a passion for games”.

The Guardian’s Michael Billington said her performance, “makes something truly memorable of Judith’s daughter, whom she plays as a gauche 19 year old trying strenuously hard to be soigné and sophisticated”.

“Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s breathtaking Sorel has perfected a gauche angularity, intermittent mannishness and a toddler’s baleful pout” wrote Kate Kellaway also in The Guardian.

Seen recently on TV as the steely young lawyer Abby Thompson in the popular ITV crime drama Broadchurch, the award winning actress writiter and director will now write and star in her own E4 comedy Crashing about a group of young property guardians. In a recent interview Phoebe spoke about writing and performing and, “the tiptoeing line between laughing and crying. That, for me is the key to drama. If you make people laugh, they make themselves so vulnerable to you… and then you can stab them”.

Sketch: Jeremy Northam, Hay Fever at the Noel Coward Theatre

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Hay Fever Jeremy Northam

British actor Jeremy Northam returned to London’s West End after a lengthy absence to play the bamboozled uptight diplomat Richard Greatham in the 2012 revival of Noël Coward’s Hay Fever at the theatre named after the celebrated playwright.

Jeremy’s stage career got off to an auspicious beginning, replacing Daniel Day Lewis in the role of Hamlet at the National in 1989 before winning an Olivier Award a year later for his performance in The Voysey Inheritance.

“A peach of a performance… quivering with shy lust,” wrote Michael Billington in The Guardian of Jeremy’s performance in Hay Fever. Among Jeremy’s many acclaimed screen roles is as Welsh actor and signer Ivor Novello in Gosford Park (2012) “I think this performance by Jeremy Northam is one of the really, best performances I’ve ever seen in film” said its director, Robert Altman.

Sketch: Amy Morgan, Hay Fever at the Noel Coward Theatre

Posted on May 5, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Hay Fever Amy Morgan

TV audiences may know Welsh Amy Morgan as Mr Selfridge‘s accessories girl Grace Calthorpe gossiping among the gloves and bags, but I became aware of her acting prowess in Noel Coward’s country weekend comedy Hay Fever at London’s Noel Coward Theatre in 2012.

She played Jackie Coryton, described by critic Julia Rank, “Amy Morgan is enjoyable as the ignored dumb blonde Jackie, perhaps the most endearing character, invited so that Mr Bliss could study a flapper in domestic surroundings”.

Kate Kellaway called Amy’s performance, “wonderful” in her Guardian review. Amy won a prestigious Ian Charleson Award nomination for The Country Wife at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester She was awarded the runner up prize.