Drawing: Adrian Scarborough in King Lear at The National Theatre

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Adrian Scarborough is currently playing The Fool in Sam Mendes “magnetic and unorthodox” production of King Lear, in repertory on the vast Olivier stage at the National Theatre in London. His “lovely-melancholy” turn has garnered rave reviews as Lear’s beloved Fool who batters to death in what the Times called “a startling innovation”.

“His death in a bath tub is sudden and shocking, an example of the coin spin between comedy and tragedy that Mendes manages so well,” said critic Tom Wicker.

Equally at home on both stage and screen, Adrian has appeared in films such as The Madness of King George, Vera Drake, The History Boys, Gosford Park, The King’s Speech and Les Miserables. On the smaller screen he has featured in Gavin and Stacey, Upstairs Downstairs and even an episode of Dr Who.

Adrian was nominated for two Olivier in 2011 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in the National’s Revival of Terence Rattigan’s After the Dance.

King Lear runs until 2 July 2014.

Drawing: Jenna Russell in Season’s Greetings at the National Theatre

Posted on March 26, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Olivier-Award winning actress and singer Jenna Russell is currently in the satirical musical URINETOWN, directed by Jamie Lloyd at the St James Theatre in London. This Tony-Award winning Broadway ‘splash’ hit revolves around a city in the future that is inflicted by a terrible drought, where water is like gold. A business tycoon is making a fortune monopolising the public toilets! Jenna who signed this sketch during her run in SEASON’S GREETINGS at the National in 2010, plays Penelope Pennywise and the show runs until 3 May.

Drawing: Olivia Vinall in King Lear at the National Theatre

Posted on March 25, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

One of the brightest new stars shining on the London stage is 25 year old Olivia Vinall. Less than four years after graduating from Drama Studio London she has played three of Shakespeare’s iconic female roles – a path probably predicted in the stars given she was named after one of the Bard’s other famous females – Olivia in Twelfth Night.

Presently portraying Cordelia in the National Theatre’s King Lear, opposite the legendary Simon Russell Beale, she was Desdemona in Othello (also at the National) with Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet at the Leicester Square Theatre. Nominated for both an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a WhatsOnStage Award for her role as the Venetian beauty who tragically elopes with the older Othello.

Olivia also features in the National’s 50 Years On Stage Celebration with the current theatrical greats. I had the pleasure of meeting the delightful thespian after her Saturday afternoon performance, when she signed this sketch.

Drawing: Simon Russell Beale in King Lear at The National Theatre

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

I’m constantly drawn to Simon Russell Beale. I’ve sketched him on a number of occasions and will continue to do so. He’s an artist’s dream with such an expressive, animated face. He’s currently performing on the vast Olivier stage at the National Theatre in Shakespeare’s King Lear, directed once again by Sam Mendes.

“Simon’s great art is that he can take a role and turn it until it catches the light. Sometimes he only turns it tow degrees and bang,” Sam is quoted as saying.

It renews a long creative partnership between the two, beginning at the RSC in 1990 with Troilus and Cressida. It has included all the Bard’s greatest roles, but Lear is possibly the big one. It is the seventh Shakespeare play on which Simon has worked with Sam.

He’s an unorthodox Lear as a Stalinesque tyrant, dividing his Kingdom amongst his three daughters. It’s been in the frame for the best part of a decade and finally realised in this extraordinary epic. It’s not Simon’s first Lear, however. He did perform the role as a 17 year old schoolboy at Clifton College.

Simon signed this sketch after the Saturday performance. There are so many other renderings waiting in the wings, given the vast emotional arc he uses to portray the tragic monarch. Watch this space.

Drawing: Rosalie Craig in The Light Princess at The National Theatre

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

The Light Princess is a dark Scottish fairy tale by George MacDonald, published in 1864. It revolves around a princess who loses her mother and her gravity, so floats in the air. She also lacks moral gravity, incapable of real feeling and laughs at everything – her way of blocking out pain and responsibility.

It was the inspiration for the National Theatre musical production and six years in the making. It was adapted by Samuel Adamson with music and lyrics by Tori Amos, directed by Olivier and Tony Award winner Marianne Elliot.

Rosalie Craig is the Light Princess, Althea. The Evening Standard said “Rosalie Craig is stunningly good.” She won the newspapers Theatre Award for Best Musical Performance and is nominated for a What’s On Stage Award.

Drawing: Rhys Ifans in Protest Song at The National Theatre

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Protest Song is a 70 minute monologue in The Shed – The National Theatre’s new intimate venue on the South Bank.

A rough sleeper, Danny finds himself caught up in the Occupy movement’s protest camp that descended on St Paul’s environs through the winter of 2011. It’s visceral political theatre, lampooning inequality at every level and the gulf between the people who have temporarily taken to the streets, and the man who lives there because he has nowhere else to go.

Initially furious at the invasion, Danny gradually gets involved with his ‘surrogate’ family, giving shape to his day.

Rhys Ifans plays the wounded and resilient Danny, delivering Tim Price’s funny and savage narrative in what critics have called, “a blazing performance”, “superb” and “utterly convincing”. After many years of being asked to move along, it’s ironic now to be told to remain motionless in one place. He takes refuge in banter and anecdotes, full of pathos and humour, but imminently combustible.

It’s not your usual festive theatre, with no fairytale ending, summed up by the metaphor of a piano with damaged keys, that when something is broken you have to find a way to work around it. It’s the only way the music will be heard.

Drawing: Jodie Whittaker and Christopher Eccleston in Antigone at The National Theatre

Posted on November 24, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sophocles’ great Greek tragedy Antigone, written in 441 BC, received an acclaimed update at the National Theatre in London last year.

The two main characters, Antigone and Creon, were played by Jodie Whittaker and Christopher Eccleston respectively.

Both Jodie and Christopher signed my sketch at the National in June 2012.

Drawing: Rory Kinnear in Hamlet at The National Theatre

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Outstanding thespian Rory Kinnear has been shortlisted for two Evening Standard Theatre Awards – Best Actor for his astonishing portrayal of Iago opposite Adrian Lester (also nominated) in the National’s Othello. He has also got the nomination for the Most Promising Playwright for The Hero at the Bush Theatre.

The award winners will be announce this Sunday (17 November 2013) at the Savoy Hotel in London.

Rory kindly signed my sketch of him in Hamlet with a nice dedication at the National Theatre in October 2010. I gave him a copy and he said he had it framed and hanging in his home the day he got it.

Drawing: James Corden, Jemima Rooper and Oliver Chris in One Man, Two Guvnors

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

One Man, Two Guvnors opened at London’s National Theatre in 2011. Written by Richard Bean and directed by Sir Nicholas Hytner it is a British adaption of The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo Goldoni (1743) and set in 1963 Brighton.

It transferred to the Adelphi Theatre in November 2011, where James Corden, Oliver Chris and Jemima Rooper signed my sketch. After closing in February 2012, it premiered on Broadway’s Great White Way at the Music Box Theatre until September.

The play was nominated for seven Tony Awards, with James winning for Best Actor.

Drawing: Danny Boyle

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

I like Danny Boyle’s style. The Lancashire born director is the most down to earth celebrity I know. In spite of a trophy cabinet including every major film gong and co-ordinating the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics, he also turned down a Knighthood.

He returned to his theatrical roots in 2011 to direct Frankenstein at the National Theatre. On the opening night he signed for me. Actually there were two opening nights (World Premieres) as the two leads – Johnny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch – alternated the roles of ‘the creature’ and Dr Frankenstein.

He wore casual clothes and mingled with the minions in the Olivier Theatre foyer. I did this quick sketch and approached him. He smiled and said, “that’s great.” He was more than happy to sign it, confirming his humanity and humility. I asked him why he alternating the leads, he said, “you’ll see”.

I watched the show on the theatre monitor in the bar. Cumberbatch played the creature. If a ticket had been available I would have returned to see Miller in the same role, so I could see what Danny meant.