Sketch: Glynis Barber in Beautiful, Aldwych Theatre

Posted on March 11, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Glynis Barber

British actress Glynis Barber, best known for her small screen roles in hit eighties come series Dempsey and Makepeace, Blake’s 7, Eastenders and Emerdale. She’s currently on the West End stage playing Genie Klein (Carole King’s Mum) in the London production of the Broadway hit Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at the Aldwych Theatre.

Carole’s album Tapestry has sold more than 25 million copies and the musical focuses on her route to success between the ages of 16 and 29, as part of the hit songwriting team with husband Gerry Goffin.

Glynis is a lifelong fan of Carole King. She doesn’t sing, but loves the fact that she will get to hear Carole King music all year. Initially booking till 13 June, the show has extended its run due to popular demand until February next year. It has also just been nominated for 8 Olivier Awards.

Sketch: Katie Brayben in Beautiful, Aldwych Theatre

Posted on March 10, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Katie Brayben

West End’s newest leading lady, Katie Brayben, has just been nominated for an Olivier Award for her role as the legendary singer songwriter Carole King in Beautiful – the Carole King Musical.

Katie’s nod for Best Actress in a Musical is one of eight for the show, “I am absolutely over the moon,” she told Digital Spy.

Katie doesn’t read reviews, so in case she’s reading this, I won’t spoil it for her, other than to say her Olivier nomination would have the unanimous support of all the critics.

One of the most successful songwriters in pop music history, Carole King’s life story has been transformed into a hit Broadway musical, with 7 Tony nominations, winning Best Leading Actress for Jessie Mueller.

Carole was one of Katie’s idols and actually appeared at the curtain call on the press night. When Katie was signing my sketch at the stage door after Saturday’s matinee, I asked her if she knew Carole would be there and she said, “no, if I had known, I wouldn’t have been able to do it!”

Sketch: Carly Bawden in Assassins, Menier Chocolate Factory

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Carly Bawden

The delightful Carly Bawden has just finished playing a failed murderer in the London revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1990 ensemble cabaret Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Set in a fairground shooting gallery, the musical follows the assassination attempts – successful and otherwise – of 9 presidents of the United States.

Carly plays Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, who had President Gerald Ford in her sights before the gun failed to fire. WhatsOnStage called her character, “the wacko follower of cultist psychopath Charles Manson.” Critics were unanimous in praise of her performance, one calling it, “irrepressible”.

After the 26 year old shone in daring shows Pippin (also at the Menier) and in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg at the Gielgud, Carly’s star turn was her acclaimed leading role in the Kneehigh Theatre’s Christmas production of My Fair Lady at the Sheffield Crucible in 2012.

Under the headline ‘The Lady is a Champ’, Sarah Cockburn called Carly “impressive” on the Culture Vulture site, The Telegraph said, “remarkable” and Variety simply said, “An Ideal Eliza”

I was hoping to get this “Squeaky” sketch signed by Carly. Having missed her earlier, I waited outside the theatre after the final performance on Saturday evening. However, the customary end of the season celebrations were taking place in the font of house Menier cafe. Not wanting to interrupt proceedings, but keen to catch my last train, my best shot was to ask someone to get it to her.

The very kind and helpful Gerry (a staff member) appeared at the side door and designated smoking area. He happily took my sketch in and got Carly to sign it, she then came out to thank me in person.

Sketch: Sachin Tendulkar, The Little Master

Posted on March 7, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

tendulkar

Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar is widely considered as the greatest batsman of all time, or a least the equal of the great Sir Don Bradman. To say that ‘the Little Master (he’s 5′ 5”) is very popular is a massive understatement. His fan following is global and beyond…it’s out of this world, like his batting. He remains the most worshipped cricketer on the planet by some distance. In India they say,”Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my god’.

Sachin holds all the world records. He is the leading run scorer in both Tests and One Day Internationals and the only player to pass 30,000 runs in all forms of International cricket. He has the most Test centuries (51) and ODI’s (49) in the most Test matches (200) and ODI’s (463).

In November 2013 he retired from all cricket after scoring 74 in his final innings against the West Indies at his home ground in Mumbai. Over the years I have been privillaged to see Sachin play, including in Mumbai. or Bombay as it was called then.I have collected his graph many times. In November last year he was at a book-signing (‘Playing It My Way’) at Waterstones in the Jubilee Place Mall at London’s Canary Wharf. Unprecedented scenes brought the place to a standstill as record crowds stormed the store for Sachin-mania. An scheduled hour session turned into two and a half as he signed books for the never-ending queue, moi included. Because of the obvious time constraints he was only able to autograph the book, so I couldn’t get this sketch signed. Anticipating this, I had it all packed up and gave it to one of his team. it came back from Sachin’s Mumbai address this week. A Little Master-stroke!

I’m not sure if it’s hand-signed or a stamp, because the sig has a ‘fade’ in the middle of it. Given the amount of requests he receives it stands to reason he can’t sign them all. However the ink has bleed through the paper and on the reverse side there are pressure points consistent with a writing instrument being used. the ‘fade’ maybe the result of paper being placed on top of the graph,absorbing the ink, before it completely dried.

Either way, I was grateful the drawing was acknowledged.

Sketch: Sarah Kendall in Touchdown at the Soho Theatre

Posted on March 6, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

sarah kendall

Sarah Kendall is a London based Australian comic who became the first comedienne in almost a decade in 2009 to be nominated for the prestigious Perrier Award (presented to the best shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in Scotland, now called the Eddies)

She is one of the most acclaimed stand ups in the industry and has played sets around the globe, including the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and at LA’s Hollywood Improv Club.

The Observer called her, “thoughtful, intelligent, subtle, enlightening and …really funny.”

In its review The Guardian said Sarah, “takes comedy to serious places” for her latest show Touchdown, which has just completed its run at the Soho Theatre, where Sarah signed my sketch.

Sketch: Tiff Stevenson in Optimist at the Soho Theatre

Posted on March 5, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

tiff stevenson

Stand-up comedian, actor and writer Tiff Stevenson’s latest show OPTIMIST was performed at last years Edinburgh Fringe. Reviewing it, GiggleBeats Hilary Wardle said,”Tiffany Stevenson looks rather angelic with her blonde hair and shimmering blue-green dress, but the minute she opens her mouth you realise she’s just the opposite. She’s a brash, complex, unhinged demon woman and she knows it”.

Tiff hit the Fringe circuit in 2006 with the lead role in the Eric Bogosian play TALK RADIO and has continued at Edinburgh with solo shows, including UNCOMFORTABLY NUMB, CAVEWOMAN, DICTATORS and ALONG CAME A SPIDER, playing to packed houses and rave reviews. She actually began her career in entertainment onscreen in THE OFFICE and in the indie feature SPINNING CANDYFLOSS and even appeared in Dizzie Rascal’s DIRTEE CASH vid. Her other TV credits include NEVER MIND THE BUZZCOCKS, ONLY JOKING, CELEBRITY DEAL OR NO DEAL and SHOW ME THE FUNNY, performing in the live final at London’s Hammersmith Apollo.

Tiff signed this sketch at the Soho Theatre after performing OPTIMIST, which she is currently touring with dates listed on her website.

Sketch: Lydia Wilson, Oliver Chris, Richard Goulding and Tafline Steen in King Charles III

Posted on March 4, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The smash hit play, King Charles III, Mike Barlett’s mock Shakespearean play about a constitutional crisis when Charles succeeds his mother after her death. Time called it a “future history play”.

Directed by Rupert Goold, the pitch perfect production premiered at London’s Almeida Theatre on 10 April 2014, before transferring to Wyndham’s in the West End for a short sell out run late last year.

“It won’t blow the palace sky high. But it’s theatrical dynamite, nonetheless,” said Caroline McGinn in Time Out.

Lydia Wilson’s manipulating Duchess of Cambridge with a touch of Lady Macbeth puts pressure on Oliver Chris’s uncanny William to intervene in his father’s refusal to uphold Parliament’s decisions. Richard Goulding’s likeable and restless Harry falls in love with the liberating but ultimately unstable Jess, a punky republican art student played by Tafline Steen.

Sketch: Nancy Carroll, Oliver Chris, Patrick Marber, Rachel Redford, Rufus Sewell in Closer

Posted on March 3, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Closer – Patrick Marber’s study about the brutality of modern relationships, gets its first major revival at London’s Donmar Warehouse and has already sold out.

When it premiered at the National Theatre in London in 1997 and the Music Box Theatre on Broadway in 1999, Closer won Olivier, Evening Standard and New York Drama Critics Circle Awards and was nominated for a Tony for Best Play.

Directed by David Leveaux, it stars Rufus Sewell, Nancy Carroll, Oliver Chris and Rachel Redford as the quartet caught up in “an agonised sexual and emotional square dance,” according to The Telegraph.

The Donmar website sums the play as: “Dan rescues Alice. Anna photographs Dan. Larry meets Anna online. Alice rescues Larry. This is London at the end of the twentieth century, where lives collide and fates change in an instant.”

According to the Evening Standard, Marber writes perceptively about our obsession with appearances, the perils of honesty and the damage we can do to others in the name of love. Holly Williams in the Independent summarises it as “hook ups, fuck ups and break ups”.

The cast all signed my sketch after Saturday’s matinée, Closer runs until 24 April 2015

Drawing: Dracula! (Mr Swallow – The Musical) at the Soho Theatre

Posted on March 2, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Dracula! (Mr Swallow – The Musical) the hit new musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival transferred to London’s Soho Theatre last month and due to phenomenal demand has added extra shows, now running until 7 March 2015.

Written by the comically acclaimed character performer Nick Mohammed, this musical spoof follows the chaotic final dress rehearsal for the fictitious show Dracula, as his excitable alter ego, Mr Swallow in the title role, enters on roller staktes making strange demands and increasingly bizarre interpretations, like a “tin pot tyrant”. He is joined by three brilliant musical theatre actors; David Elms plays Joseph, the director who also plays Van Helsing; Kieran Hodgson is Jonathan Harker and Johanna Grace is his fiancée, Wilhamina, accompanied by a five piece band playing original compositions by Ollie Birch.

Nick graduated with a first in geophysics and commenced doctoral studies in seismology at Cambridge, but was caught in the glare of the Footlights Troupe and took up comedy instead. He is developing Mr Swallow as a TV vehicle.

I caught up briefly with Nick and the cast after Saturday’s evening performance where he and Joanna signed my sketch.

Sketch: Helen Mirren in Phèdre, National Theatre

Posted on February 28, 2015 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Dame Helen Mirren returned to the stage in June 2009 after a six year absence to play the title role in Jean Racine’s 1676(ish) tragedy Phèdre at London’s National Theatre.

In the absence of her royal husband Thésée King of Athens, his second wife Phèdre declares her love to Hippolyte (played by Dominic Cooper) the King’s son from a previous marriage.

Described by Michael Billington as a, “powerful and striking production,” Phèdre was directed by the National’s outgoing Director Sir Nicholas Hytner, from Ted Hughes’ gutsy free verse translation replacing Racine’s formal Alexandrine couplets on a vast, stark palace veranda stage under the hard Mediterranean sunlighitng.

On 25 June the play was filmed and broadcast live to over 70 cinemas across the UK and subsequently screened “as live” in over 280 cinemas across the world as part of the NT Live Project.

Always a great signer, Dame Helen signed and happily dedicated this black biro Phèdre portrait montage in person at the European Premiere of Brighton Rock at London’s West End Odeon in February 2011.

See my other Helen Mirren sketches:
This portrait sketch
A sketch from The Audience