Drawing: Mark Rylance as Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron

Posted on October 3, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Mark Rylance won both the Olivier and the Tony Awards for his performance as Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron – the opinionated eccentric in Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem. “Rylance raises his game even higher and shows he is one of the greats,” said The Sunday Times. Time Out stated, “Believe the hype. Rylance’s astonishing final scene is as close to real magic as you’ll find.”

Mark signed this aqua-crayon and black conté sketch at the Apollo Theatre, London in February 2011. For my black and white alternate see here.

Drawing: Martin Freeman and Sophie Thompson in Clybourne Park

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Clybourne Park was written by Bruce Norris in 2010 and received its UK premiere at the Royal Court Theatre in London, directed by Dominic Cooke and featuring Martin Freeman and Sophie Thompson.

It explores the fault line between race and property. In the first half it’s 1959, Russ and Bev are selling their desirable two bed home at a low price. This enables the first black family to move into the neighbourhood causing ripples of discontent amongst the cosy white urbanites of Clybourne Park. In the second half it’s 2009, the same property is being bought by Lindsey and Steve, whose plan to raze the house and start again is met with a similar response.

It won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony and Oliver for Best New Play.

Martin (Russ) signed my sketch at the British Independent Film Awards at the Old Billingsgate Fish Market and Sophie signed at the Wyndham’s Theatre stage door after it transferred in 2011, without Martin and Steffan Rhodri.

Drawing: Diana Rigg in Pygmalion

Posted on September 29, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Sixties icon Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg is best known as Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers and Countess Teresa di Vicenzo in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. She has won a BAFTA (1990), and Emmy (1997), and a Tony Award for her role in Medea on Broadway in 1994.

In 2011 she played Mrs Higgins in Pygmalion at the Garrick Theatre. She played Eliza Dolittle in the same play in 1974. I did this quick sketch of her as Mrs Higgins, which she signed at the Garrick Theatre stage door. As she was signing it, she split her first and last names so as not to “write over the beautiful drawing”

Drawing: Simon Russell Beale on stage

Posted on September 28, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Described by The Independent as ‘the greatest stage actor of his generation,’ Simon Russell Beale is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed talents in British theatre. He performs under his full name, as there was already a Simon Beale registered when he joined Equity. Winner of three Olivier Awards (1996, 2000, 2002) and two TV BAFTAs, Simon was also nominated for a Tony in 2004 for a revival of Tom Stoppard’s Jumpers on Broadway.

In October 2011 he returned to The National in London to star as Joseph Stalin in the premiere of Collaborators for which he won Best Actor at the 2012 Evening Standard Awards. He played the title role in Timon of Athens from July to October 2012 before taking on the role of Captain Terri Dennis in Privates on Parade – the first play in Michael Gradage’s new West End season at the Noël Coward Theatre from December 2012 to March 2013.

In January next year he will play King Lear at the National, directed by Sam Mendes.

Simon signed my sketch at the stage door of the Noël Coward Theatre in early 2013.

Drawing: Kim Cattrall and Seth Numrich in Sweet Bird of Youth

Posted on September 22, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Kim Cattrall and Seth Numrich starred in Tennessee Williams’ revival of Sweet Bird of Youth at the Old Vic this year. Both Kim and Seth signed my sketch at the theatre in August.

Drawing: Jeff Goldblum and Mercedes Ruehl in The Prisoner of Second Ave

Posted on September 8, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

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

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

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: James Purefoy and Sienna Miller in Flare Path

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

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: Tara Fitzgerald

Posted on August 31, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

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: Julie Walters

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Mark Winter / Chicane

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.