Drawing: Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen in Two Man Show

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

two-man-show

Two women look at masculinity and patriarchy in TWO MAN SHOW, the latest hit show from RashDash’s high octane duo, Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen. Actually it’s three women, Becky Wilkie joins them as the production’s musician. The eighty minute genre-defying sketch exploration of gender, language and humankind played this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, before a sold out month’s residency at London’s Soho Theatre. It won the 2016 Fringe First Award and due to demand will return for another run in early 2017.

The VERY physical theatre uses a combination of performance styles including music and dance to communicate what it means to be a man and a woman. As Abbi says on their website, “I make all the shows with Helen. We always give ourselves the best parts. At the moment we are making shows that are big and messy and angry.” Helen adds, “I couldn’t imagine performing in a RashDash show where I wasn’t a breathless, sweaty mess by the end.” In between all their theatrical turbulence they both found time to sign my sketch at the Soho.

Drawing: Jennifer Byrne and Victoria Falconer-Pritchard in EastEnd Cabaret

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

East End Cabaret Perverts

“A high-powered Flight of the Concords dipped in acid and drenched in smut,” is how the Crikey (AU) magazine described EASTEND CABARET performers and professional perverts, Jennifer Byrne and Victoria Falconer-Pritchard.

The globe-trotting, gin-loving, man east-riding, accordion-eluding, multi-award winning could musical comedy duo are known by their stage names, Bernadette Byrne, a European chanteuse of unknown origin and Victor Victoria, a faux-bilateral hermaphrodite, one man/woman band.

On a recent tour Downunder, Theatrereview NZ likened them to a “mutant child of a Victorian circus-locked away in the Pet Shop Boys basement and forced to watch nothing but Eurovision.”

Their utterly raucous, unashamedly risqué, dark,hilarious and dangerously inappropriate show had it’s origins in the iconic East End pub, The George Tavern in 2009, appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe two years later. TimeOut said “They can work an audience like nobody’s business.” Last year they won Best Variety Act at the London Cabaret Awards.
I left this sketch of Bernie and Victy from their 2015 Soho Theatre production PERVERTS at the London Hippodrome where they were performing last month and it came back, signed with their character names and a little note.

Cabaret Perverts Note

Drawing: Bec Hill

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Bec Hill

“I used to think an ocean of soda existed, but it was just a Fanta sea.” Just one of Bec Hill’s zillion one-liners in her show ELLIPSIS, which was a sell-out at the Edinburgh Fringe and at London’s Soho Theatre last year.

The pint-sized Australian born, London based dynamo founded the PUN-RUN with her writing partner Gavin J. Innes, the UK’s only pun-based comedy night. It’s an evening of good old fashioned wordplay that takes place bi-monthly at The Phoenix in London’s Cavendish Square.

“My brother and his friends spend all their time floating out to sea. Well, boys will be buoys.” Another one-liner.

The Scotsman called her “exuberant, daft and inventive.” She calls herself “Comedian. Presenter. Dork.” on her website.

Bec’s cult following in Oz, UK and Ireland is due to her award-winning solo shows, Twitter presence and YouTube videos, including delightful low tech animation. She also hosts Sky’s DC FANCAST and is seen on CBBC’s MY DOG ATE MY HOMEWORK. Bec won a golden toilet seat for the nation’s favourite toilet joke.” For Christmas last year I got given Sudoku toilet paper. It’s useless. You can only fill it with number ones and number twos.”

She returned to the Soho this month with her latest show CAUGHT ON TAPE and signed my sketch, incorporating a toon from her DINOSAUR vid. She decided to sign with a black sharpie, although obviously she had a few colours to choose from.

Drawing: Samuel James as Screaming Lord Sutch in Monster Raving Loony

Posted on May 26, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Samuel James

“Vote for insanity – you know it makes sense”.

This was the slogan for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party, lead by its flamboyant founder David ‘Screaming Lord’ Sutch. The former rocker-turned serial parliamentary candidate became a British political institution. For over three decades he stood in every parliamentary election, becoming the staple of election night entertainment and a reliable eccentric political presence. Sutch’s unique contribution includes holding the record for losing all 39 elections he entered. He came within 200 votes of getting his deposit back once, which was considered a minor victory.

James Graham’s new play MONSTER RAVING LOONY premiered at The Drum Theatre Royal Plymouth in February, transferring to London’s Soho Theatre this month. It is described as the moving journey through the life and political exploits of ‘Screaming Lord Sutch’, while examining the state of the nation and Britain’s post-war identity crisis.

While the public saw the good Lord’s exuberant fun-loving ‘loony’ face with his famous manic grin, his private face was completely the opposite. Sutch suffered from depression and hung himself in 1999 at the age of 58. Many political figures paid their respects, including the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who acknowledged that elections would never be quite the same without him.

Samuel James, known for CASULTY, EASTENDERS and currently BIRDS OF A FEATHER reprises his critically acclaimed role as the loony Lord. In his Guardian review, Andrew Dickson wrote, “Samuel James offers a barnstorming performance, all strutting gait and eye-popping leer,” clad in His Lordship’s signature undertakers top hat and leopard-print jacket.

I left this sketch at the Soho for the ‘Signing Lord Samuel’ to graph, which he duly did. He gets my vote! MONSTER RAVING LOONY runs until 18 June.

Drawing: Sophie Rose in Quiet Violence

Posted on April 16, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sophie Rose

“I’m kissing you because it’s easier than explaining why I don’t want to.”

A line from QUIET VIOLENCE, the debut solo show written and performed by Sophie Rose who was part of the Soho Theatre’s Young Company (SYC). It’s a humorous and poignant look at our self-destructive patterns, a spoken word comedy show about the small things that we do to make life harder for ourselves and gets us into situations we don’t like. It’s a “Fast, physical and full of anarchic poetry, shards of life collide in this powerful story of punishment and rescue.” And it’s all set on a inflatable sofa, “so it’s quite fun,” Sophie said.

After touring the show, including the Edinburgh Fringe, Sophie returned to the Soho with QUIET VIOLENCE last month as part of the Soho Rising series, and signed my sketch of her on the inflatable sofa, which was quite fun.

Drawing: Lady Rizo at the Soho Theatre

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Lady Rizo

‘New York City’s prized cabaret superstar’, comedian and chanteuse (that’s a female singer of popular songs) Amelia Zirin-Brown, alias Lady Rizo returned to London’s Soho Theatre last month for a sell-out season of her new show MULTIPlIED, exploring how her newfound fecundity and parenthood fitted in with a glamorous show-pony, gypsy lifestyle.

Lady R modus operandi is ripping apart carefully chosen pop songs and her own stirring originals. In 2005 she co-created the cult caburlesque spectacular LADY RIZO AND THE ASSETTES and five years later won a Grammy Award, followed by the TimeOut and Soho Theatre Cabaret Award at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe.

I dropped this sketch off at the Soho and she returned signed and dedicated it for me.

Drawing: Kitten Killers in Woof

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Kitten Killers Woof

What better subject to draw than sketch comedy. In this case a comedy sketch group and “flagrant abusers of all things cute and fluffy.’ Fran Bushe, Kat Cade and Perdita Stott, collectively known as the KITTEN KILLERS, have been described by one critic as ‘Archly clever at the same time as being damn silly.”

They played two nights last week at the Soho Theatre where in April 2013 they formed after being part of the Young Company Lab. I left this sketch and it came back signed with a very nice note. It’s hard to think they would hurt kittens, given their kindness to a comedy sketch artist.

Drawing: Lazy Susan

Posted on February 29, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Lazy Susan

What better subject to sketch than a sketch show. Writers-performers Celeste Dring and Freya Parker form the double act LAZY SUSAN, whose EXTREME HUMANS was one of the ‘buzz’ shows at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe. They were nominees for the Best Newcomer Award. According to the descriptions on their ‘About’ page, Celeste is the tallest member of the duo and Freya is the shortest. They perform character driven comedy. “Sometimes it gets dark, sometimes it’s just a cowboy and a dog singing a Rihanna song.”

The double act returned to the Soho Theatre in London earlier this month with their second sell-out show, cunningly called DOUBLE ACT and signed my sketch.

Drawing: Ursula Martinez in Free Admission

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Ursula Martinez

For Ursula Martinez ,”genre doesn’t really hold. Her shows are fairly uncategorisable,” said Matt Trueman in The Guardian. “She is in that sweet spot where comedy, cabaret and theatre intersect.”

The London-based Anglo-Spanish and Olivier Award winning ‘performance provocateur’ and cult cabaret diva has just completed a two-week run at the Soho Theatre of FREE ADMISSION. It grew out of feedback from her previously acclaimed MY STORIES, YOUR EMAILS, incorporating her unique style of self-depreciation, baring her soul and more.

I managed to catch a fully clothed Ursula at the Soho after her final performance on Saturday where she signed this sketch for me.

Drawing: Anne Edmonds in You Know What I’m Like at the Soho Theatre

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Anne Edmonds

Described as ‘one of Australia’s most exciting new stand-up character and banjo playing comedians, Anne Edmonds is currently making her UK debut with a fortnight at the Soho Theatre in London with a gig entitled YOU KNOW WHAT I’M LIKE.

It won Anne the Piece of Wood Award last year. The Piece of Wood Award you ask? Yes, it’s literally a piece of wood presented to the winner of the Best Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, where she resides. Apparently it’s traditional to bite it. ‘Eddo’ – as she calls herself on Twitter – says she’s a ‘sadness sniffer dog’ that can spot melancholy behind smiles. Her stand-up routine is described by critics as “uncomfortably funny” combined with dark, but funny songs and skilful banjo playing.

Her banjo is called Steve… well it was in 2012, if she’s still with Steve. I didn’t ask when I meet her last Friday night after her show to sign this sketch. But you have until 16 January to pop along to the intimate upstairs loft at the Soho and ask her yourself.