Happened across this the other day, a drawing I made for a friend over 10 years ago… I think he was pleased with it…
Sketch: Forbidden Fruit
Reply
Tag Archives: sketch
Drawing: Jeff Goldblum and Mercedes Ruehl in The Prisoner of Second Ave
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: Anna Chancellor and Toby Stephens in Private Lives
Following a sell-out run at the Chichester Festival Theatre, this critically acclaimed revival of Noël Coward’s Private Lives transferred to West End’s Gilegud Theatre for a limited season until 21 September 2013.
Toby Stephens and Anna Chancellor take the lead roles, as glamorous divorcées Elyot and Amanda whose love for one another is unexpectedly rekindled when they take adjoining suites for a French hotel while honey mooning with their new spouses five years later, played by Anthony Calf and Anna-Louise Plowman (Toby’s real life wife).
The original production in 1930 was heavily censored for being too risque. Critics appear united in their reviews of the 2013 version.
“Jonathan Kent’s production of Coward’s masterpiece is the best in a decade” (The Independent).
“Toby Stephens and Anna Chancellor give the most scorchingly sexy, intensely connected performances in London” (Mail on Sunday)
Both Anna and Toby kindly signed my sketch at the stage door this week.
Drawing: Douglas Hodge as Willy Wonka
The spectacular musical version of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had its World Premiere at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in June 2013. Directed by Academy Award Winner and Bond director Sam Mendes, this deliciously dark tale stars Douglas Hodge as the eccentric factory owner. Just returned from playing Cyrano de Bergerac at the Roundabout Theater on Broadway, Douglas won the Tony Award in 2010 for La Cage aux Folles at the Longacre Theatre.
The previous year he collected the Olivier Award for the same role which played on the West End at the Playhouse Theatre before transferring to New York.
He has also released two albums of his own compositions and has written a musical Aschlin Ditta. Douglas gladly signed my sketch at the stage door prior to yesterday’s matinée.
Drawing: James Purefoy and Sienna Miller in Flare Path
Sir Trevor Nunn’s emotionally resonant revival of Terrance Rattigan’s wartime drama FLARE PATH played the Theatre Royal Haymarket during the spring of 2011. It was part of the author’s centenary tribute. Written in 1941 and staged a year later,the play is based on his own experiences as a tail-gunner in the RAF coastal command. It is a love triangle,set in the lounge of a Lincolnshire hotel where bomber pilots,stationed at the nearby airbase stay with conjugal guests. Sienna Miller returned to the West End to play Patricia Graham, an actress torn between her pilot husband,Teddy (Harry Haddon-Paton) and Peter Kyle, (James Purefoy) her movie star lover. The production was a huge success and was extended due to popular demand. Critics called it “richly entertaining and beautifully judged revival of this theatrical rarity”…”a deeply moving portrayal of people at war”, said The Guardian’s Michael Billington. I managed to manoeuvre my way around the predatory packs of paps one April evening to ask Sienna to sign my sketch at the stage door. It was more a matter of ‘fright flare’ from all the flash bulbs going off! In fact, the illumination was so intense,she had to wait in between flashes to see the drawing which washed out under the brightness. James was a little easier. He and his dog emerged later to a much more sedate reception and happily signed.
Drawing: Sir Murray Halberg
Sir Murray Halberg is one of New Zealand’s greatest athletes. After a rugby injury left his arm severely withered, he took up running, motivated by his disability. In the 1950s he teamed up with the legendary Arthur Lydiad who had new ideas about athletics training. Sir Murray went on to win the 3 miles gold medal at the 1958 Cardiff Empire and Commonwealth Games, and became New Zealand’s first sub-four minute miler.
Two years later in Rome he won Olympic gold in the 5000 metres on the same day fellow Kiwi, Peter Snell, claimed the 800m title. He successfully defended his 3 mile title at the 1962 Commonwealth Games in Perth.
After retiring from athletics, Sir Murray founded the Halberg Trust to support children with disabilities to be active in sport, creation and leisure. It was rebranded in 2012 and is now known as the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation.
Sir Murray signed my sketch at the Halberg Trust Celebrity Sporting Luncheon at Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill, New Zealand in October 2002.
Drawing: Tara Fitzgerald
Actress Tara Fitzgerald has appeared in two acclaimed productions on the West End over the last few years. Her theatre pedigree includes playing Ophelia opposite Ralph Fiennes in Hamlet on Broadway in 1994-95, winning the New York Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a play.
In 2009 she featured in The Misanthrope, alongside Damien Lewis and Keira Knightley at the Comedy Theatre.
More recently she joined Anthony Sher in Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass at the Vaudeville Theatre.
Tara signed my sketch at the Comedy Theatre in December 2009 after a performance of The Misanthrope. She’s always friendly and obliging and stops for a chat after the show.
Drawing: Hattie Morahan in A Doll’s House
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: Luke Treadaway
I met Luke Treadaway this week. Really nice guy and an impressive actor. It was at the Apollo Theatre stage door after an evening performance of the poignant and powerful play THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME. He’s a 28 year-old who portrays a 15 year-old (15 years, 3 months and 2 days to be precise) Christopher Boone, who by his own admission is “a mathematician with some behavioural difficulties”. Although not stated, the young protagonist displays characteristics of high-functioning autism as he investigates the death of Wellington – the neighbour’s black poodle.
It’s based on Mark Haddon’s 2003 best-selling mystery novel. The title is a quote from the famous fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes in Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1892 short story ‘Silver Blaze‘. The play premiered at the National Theatre in August 2012 with stage adaption by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliot. It transferred to the Apollo in May 2013. It won a record-equalling seven Oliviers at this years awards, including a Best Actor statuette for Luke – no easy feat, considering the other nominees were Mark Rylance, Rupert Everett, Rafe Spall and James McAvoy. I had to meet Luke this week because he finishes playing Christopher on Saturday. As he said, ‘Yep, only four more performances.” I drew two sketches with Luke and the delightful Niamh Cussack, who plays Christopher’s mentor Siobhan. He signed this one and both of them graphed the other.
Drawing: Julie Walters
Julie Walters is one of my favourite actresses. I am not alone. An Orange Film Survey rated her the Greatest of British Film Actresses in 2001 and ITV’s 2006 poll had her 4th in the 50 Greatest Stars in the UK. Julie debuted on the London stage in 1980 in Willy Russell’s EDUCATING RITA about a hairdresser’s literary quest. It was a role that bought her international prominence two years later in the film version with Michael Caine and her first of seven BAFTA Awards,a Golden Globe and an Oscar nomination. Julie has also won two Emmys for A SHORT STAY IN SWITZERLAND (2009) and MO (2011) and an Olivier for her performance as Kate Keller in Arthur Miller’s ALL MY SONS in 2001 at the National Theatre in London. She is probably more familiar to younger audiences as Rupert Grint’s screen mother, Molly Weasley in 8 of the HARRY POTTER films. I was fortunate to see Julie in Peter Hall’s production of Tennessee William’s THE ROSE TATOO at London’s Playhouse theatre in the early 1990’s. I did this sketch and she signed it for me many years later at the British Film Institute,before participating in JULIE WALTERS IN CONVERSATION in February 2011 as part of a season dedicated to her career in Films and Television.
ChicanePictures 