Drawing: Mary Berry

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of chef Mary Berry

‘The Queen of Cakes’, Mary Berry is a British TV institution. The 81 year-old presenter and writer, who trained in France at the Le Cordon Bleu School sixty years ago, is also a reluctant ‘style icon’. As the Huffington Post said she is “loved for many reasons, her collection of brilliant jackets is just one of them.”

During Mary’s seven seasons on the BBC’s hit culinary show THE GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF, viewers got to see the full range. For example, a stork-print bomber from Marks & Spencers sent social media into a spiral in 2014 and the jacket sold out before the show finished at 9 pm. Mary has written 75 cooking books, including the 2009 bestseller ‘Baking Bible’ and last year she won a British Television Award as Best TV Judge.

I sent this sketch to Mary, which she returned, signed and dedicated.

Drawing: Edward Fox in The Day of the Jackal

Posted on May 14, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Edward Fox in the film "The Day of the Jackal"

Distinguished British actor Edward Fox has returned to the London stage this month alongside his son Freddie in Oscar Wilde’s AN IDEAL HUSBAND at the Vaudeville Theatre, in what the Independent’s Paul Taylor called a “delicious double act.”

The 81 year-old’s screen career includes many of the classic films, GHANDI (1982), NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN (1983), THE DRESSER (1983), THE GO-BETWEEN (1971) and A BRIDGE TOO FAR (1977), the latter two earning him Supporting Actor BAFTA Awards. However it is his role as the professional assassin known as ‘Jackal’, hired to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in the Summer of 1963 in Fred Zinnemann’s THE DAY OF THE JACKAL (1973) that is one of my favourites.

I drew this sketch, which Edward signed for me on Saturday at the Vaudeville stage door prior to the matinee. Light spring rain was falling and a large group of fans were also waiting for his graph, so he politely asked if it was ok to just sign his name and not dedicate, which was perfectly fine with me.

Drawing: Itzhak Perlman

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of violinist Itzhak Perlman

Itzhak Perlman is the epitome of the word legend. I know I use it often, and have been very fortunate to spend brief moments with a few who have kindly reciprocated by signing one of my scribbles. But Itzhak is undeniably the reigning virtuoso of the violin – the world’s greatest living exponent of the instrument. The 71 year-old Israeli-American
has won 15 Grammy and four Emmy Awards among countless other accolades.

When I found out he was doing a one-off appearance in London to conduct the Mozart Requiem with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus at the Royal Festival Hall last Sunday I immediately put pencil to paper and did this montage sketch, which he signed and dedicated. It’s one of my prize possessions.

Drawing: Ruthie Henshall in Billy Elliot The Musical

Posted on May 9, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Ruthie Henshall in Billy Elliot The Musical at the Victoria Palace Theatre on London's West End

Ruthie Henshall’s illustrious theatre career spans four decades, beginning with her West End debut in CATS in 1988, making appearances as Jemima, Demeter, Griddlebone and Grizabella after completing the UK tour of A CHORUS LINE. She is currently back on the London boards in the revival of CHICAGO at the Phoenix Theatre.

It’s a show she knows well. Having played Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly on a few occasions on the West End and Broadway, she is now the prison warden, Mama Morton, which makes her the only British actress to have played all CHICAGO’s leading female roles. She originated the role of Roxie in the 1997 London production, a performance that earned her one of five Olivier Award nominations. She won two years earlier for her portrayal of Amelia Balash in the revival of SHE LOVES ME.

Prior to this year’s CHICAGO, Ruthie joined the cast of BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL as the straight talking dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson for the last 18 months of it’s eleven year run at the Victoria Palace Theatre. I drew this drawing of her, which she signed for me at the Phoenix stage door on Saturday and remarked on the impressive sweater she got to wear, which, by the way took me longer to render than the rest of the sketch and she said it was and she should have kept it.

Drawing: Sian Thomas in Passion Play

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Sian Thomas in Passion Play at the Duke of York's Theatre on London's West End

Welsh actress Sian Thomas, known for her big screen role as Amelia Bones, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic in 2007’s HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX also has an impressive set of stage credentials. She is currently playing Aunt Pat in Jez Butterworth’s epic new play THE FERRYMAN at London’s Gielgud Theatre, which ends this month.

The last time I saw Sian on the West End was in Peter Nichol’s PASSION PLAY at the Duke of York’s in 2013. She was the ‘friend’ who decides to enlighten Zoe Wannamaker’s character about her husband’s betrayal, a performance Charles Spencer in his Telegraph review describes as “memorably bitter.”

I had been carrying this sketch of Sian around in my ‘working’ file (probably ‘walking’ file is more apt given the miles I cover stalking stage doors) since I missed her at the Duke’s five years ago so took the opportunity to catch up before with her at the Gielgud on Saturday when she arrived for the matinee and signed it.

Drawing: Zizi Strallen in Mary Poppins

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Zizi Strallen in Mary Poppins on UK Tour

One of the most popular and busy British theatre performers is 28 year-old Zizi Strallen. Fresh from a sell-out run of the acclaimed production FOLLIES at the National earlier this year, she is currently one of the leads in the stage adaption of Baz Luhrmann’s classic film STRICTLY BALLROOM – THE MUSICAL.

Prior to that she played the title role in Cameron Macintosh’s UK tour of MARY POPPINS throughout 2015. It’s a role her sister Scarlett also performed in the West End, Broadway and Sydney. Zizi kindly signed my Poppins pic at the Piccadilly stage door last weekend prior to the STRICTLY matinee.

Drawing: Jean-Claude Killy

Posted on May 2, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of alpine skier Jean-Claude Killy

One of the greatest alpine skiers of all-time is Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy. I was reminded of this fact during the coverage of this year’s Winter Olympics in South Korea.

He dominated the sport in the late 1960’s, which included a clean sweep of the 1968 Olympic alpine events in Grenoble winning three golds, in the downhill, giant slalom and slalom. He also won two World Cup titles and six World Championship gold medals. I grew up watching him compete and later was a big fan of his two television series including THE KILLY CHALLENGE.

In one episode he skied down the eastern slope of the previously unskied down the side of Mt Ngauruhoe a volcano in my home country New Zealand. For LORD OF THE RINGS fans it’s the mountain used by Peter Jackson to represent Mt Doom in the screen adaption of the Tolkien trilogy. On the 35 degree slope he reached speeds in excess of 100 mph.

Jean-Claude won his first International event at the age of 18 and was included in the French team the 1962 World Championships. Unaware of his selection, he was still trying to qualify at an event in the north of Italy. On his final run, in typical reckless style he hit an ice sheet, before the finishing line, which propelled him into the air, landing on one ski, but crossing the line with the fastest time and the other leg broken. He watched the World Championships on crutches.

During this year’s Games, his name repeatedly came up in the TV commentary, so I suddenly thought I must get him to sign a drawing and quickly sent him this sketch at his home base in Geneva. He returned it within a week signed and dedicated.

Drawing: Michelle Fairley in Julius Caesar

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Michelle Fairley in Julius Caesar at the Bridge Theatre in London

Northern Irish actress Michelle Fairley is well known to TV viewers as Catelyn Stark in GAME OF THRONES and the recurring role of Dr Ava Hessington in the US Network series SUITS. She has also appeared in such British classics as THE BILL, HOLBY CITY, CASULTY and LOVEJOY. On the bigger screen, Michelle played Mrs Granger in the HARRY POTTER AND THE DEADLY HALLOWS films.

Her extensive stage work includes an Olivier Award nomination for her portrayal as Emilia in the Donmar Warehouse 2007 production of Shakespeare’s OTHELLO. Earlier this year she played the rash, impassioned soldier and conspirator Cassius in another one of the Bard’s tragedies JULIUS CAESAR at the new Bridge Theatre situated by a Tower Bridge on London’s South Bank.

It was described by the Metro’s theatre critic, appropriately named Adam Bloodworth as a “turbo-charged performance.”

I left this sketch of Michelle at the stage door and it came back, signed and dedicated.

Drawing: Clare Smyth

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of chef Clare Smyth

Culinary star Clare Smyth, the first British female chef to hold and retain three Michelin Stars, has just been named the Best Female Chef on the planet by the World’s Best 50 Restaurants judges. It’s an accolade she found a little ‘strange’ given that she has competed on a level playing field with men since the beginning of her career.

“Separating male and female chefs for me is strange, but there’s not enough women coming through at the top so we need to do something about it,” she said in an Independent interview. In 2002 she joined Restaurant Gordon Ramsey in London, running it for 13 years, before opening her debut establishment, CORE BY CLARE SMYTH in Notting Hill last summer, with the philosophy, ‘artisanal flair and sustainable ethos.’ It won the Best Restaurant at the GQ Food and Wine Awards this week.

I actually meet the friendly and laid back Clare, when she was one of the judges for the UK Young Chef Awards held at Harrods in 2015 and I was masquerading as a photographer with a food fetish. I did do a sketch of her but never got it signed so sent this quick one to her at CORE, and she duly obliged.

A confession: she signed in pencil and corrected my misspelling of her first name, which I have subsequently sorted for this post. Spelling was always a truant in my education.

Drawing: Josefina Gabrielle in Chicago

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Josefina Gabrielle on West End

Josefina Gabrielle is very familiar with CHICAGO, the musical not the city, although I could be misrepresenting her knowledge of American metropolises. The British musical theatre star has returned to the show, this time as Velma Kelly, after playing Roxie Hart in the two previous London productions at the Cambridge and Adelphi Theatres. With three Olivier Award nominations for OKLAHOMA, SWEET CHARITY and MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, Josephina’s musical pedigree is assured.

I drew this montage of her in CHICAGO, as the Evil Witch Evilena in the Hackney Empire’s 2013 panto PUSS AND BOOTS, her dual roles as NIckie and Ursula in the stage adaption of John Masefield’s 1935 children’s book, THE BOX OF DELIGHTS at Wilton’s Music Hall in the East End and her Oliver-nominated performance as Gussie Carnegie in the Menier Chocolate Factory’s 2014 production of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG.

She signed it for me at the Phoenix Theatre stage door when she arrived for the CHICAGO matinee.