Drawing: Sophia Anne Caruso in Lazarus

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

sophia-anne-caruso

I posted a signed drawing of Michael C Hall and Sophia Anne Caruso in Lazarus a few days ago. Both have reprised their roles in the David Bowie musical based on his film THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, which transferred from New York to London’s specially constructed pop-up Kings Cross Theatre this month. Because of the weather I was unable to stand at the stage door and get it graphed in person, so I actually left it for Sophia along with this sketch of her. Both came back signed along with a nice note thanking me. Fourteen year old Sophia auditioned for the part of the child woman Girl in secret because they only wanted actors over 18.

She said she was always in awe of David Bowie, so when she got a call ten minutes before her second call-back to say that her idol was present and that if she hurried she would sing for him. She moved like never before. He said ‘it was nice to meet me’,she recalled. Two days later, on her 15th birthday she got the part. On opening night David gave her a gold rocket pin and a card saying he appreciated her doing the role. The card was stolen, but she will always treasure the pin.

Drawing: Ken Stott as King Lear in The Dresser

Posted on November 10, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

ken-stott-lear

My wife and I have a Bard tradition of celebrating our wedding anniversary with a touch of Shakespeare. It can be one of his plays or a production that includes or is based on his work. This year we popped along to Sean Foley’s acclaimed revival of Ronald Harwood’s tragicomedy THE DRESSER at the Duke of York’s in London. The brilliant Scottish and Olivier Award winning actor Ken Stott is ‘Sir’, a fading ham actor who rolls through the regions during the second World War ‘giving’ his Lear, Othello and Richard III to the people. Like the Shakespearean monarch, he is in decline as his longtime and long suffering dresser Norman, wonderfully played by Reece Shearsmith, tries to get him through the evening’s performance of KING LEAR. Both Ken and Reece signed a sketch I did of them together. This one is Ken as Lear, which he graphed for me last night at the stage door.

Drawing: Michael C.Hall and Sophia Anne Caruso in Lazarus

Posted on November 9, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

lazarus

LAZARUS has landed in London. Described as David Bowie’s parting gift to the world, the unconventional musical is a collaboration between the music of ‘Ziggy Stardust’, Irish playwright Enda Walsh and Belgian avant-garde director Ivo van Howe, based on NIcolas Roeg’s 1976 film THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH, in which Bowie starred as the humanoid alien Thomas Newton, stranded on earth after being driven out by a drought on his own planet. It premiered at the New York Theatre Workshop at the end of 2015. His final public appearance was at the show’s opening on 7 December 2015 prior to his death a month later. The opening song, ‘Lazarus’ is the third track on his final album ‘Blackstar.’

DEXTER’s Michael C.Hall plays Newton and Sophie Anne Caruso is Girl, his muse. Both have reprised their roles in Bowie’s birthplace, at the pop-up Kings Cross Theatre with a specially constructed cavernous 900 seater venue. It opened last night.

I popped over on Friday night to the uncovered stage door to get this sketch signed in person, but it was raining, an unusual occurrence for London and not ideal for collection graphs. However the very kind stage door staff promised to get it to Michael and Sophia Anne and they did.

Drawing: Adam Rothenberg and Lydia Wilson in Fool For Love

Posted on November 8, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

fool-for-love

Sam Shepherd’s play FOOL FOR LOVE, a finalist for the 1984 Pulitzer Drama Prize is the final production this year at the intimate hipster pop-up venue Found 111 on the site of the old Central St Martin’s School of Art in London’s Charring Cross Rd. RIPPER STREET co-stars Adam Rothenberg and Lydia Wilson are former lovers Eddie and May, confined in a run-down motel room fighting for the love they can’t live with or without.

New Jersey-born Adam makes his London stage debut after a variety of American stage and screen performances. Fresh from blockbuster STAR TREK BEYOND, Lydia was last treading the local boards in her Olivier-nominated role as Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge in KING CHARLES III. I caught up with both of them after an evening performance last week and they signed my sketch.

Drawing: Gawn Grainger in The Entertainer

Posted on November 7, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

gawn-grainger

Instead of quietly slipping off to Tuscany and working on his memoirs, veteran British actor Gawn Grainger stepped into the role of ex-showman Billy Rice in THE ENTERTAINER, the final production in the Kenneth Branagh season of plays at The Garrick. The 78 year-old replaced John Hurt, who was originally cast to play the father of washed-up music hall performer Archie Rice, but had to withdraw for medical reasons.

Gawn’s illustrious stage career began with his West End debut at the age of twelve before going on to be part of Lawrence Olivier’s inaugural season at the National Theatre and has since worked with the professions finest. Paul Taylor wrote about Gawn’s performance in his Independent review “Gawn Grainger is perfection at conveying the Edwardian staunch pride and garrulous irritability with the modern world.” He signed my drawing at the stage door, commenting, “it looks like me,” which is always a good sign.

Drawing: Harriet Thorpe in The Dresser

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

harriet-thorpe

British actress Harriet Thorpe’s most recognisable TV roles are receptionist Carole in THE BRITTAS EMPIRE and Patsy’s eccentric chum Fleur in ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, a role she revised in the film adaption this year. She’s also appeared in a few films, including CALENDAR GIRLS and actually played the elderly witch Wakanda in a deleted scene from HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 1. On stage Harriet had several seasons with the National Theatre and has worked extensively in the West End including Madame Thenardier in LES MISERABLES. She has returned to the London boards in the role of Sir’s faithful wife, ‘Her Ladyship’ in the revival of Ron Harwood’s THE DRESSER at the Duke of York’s, where I meet Harriet after the evening performance last Saturday and she signed my drawing.

Drawing: Lydia Piechowiak – Miss Giddy Heights

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Lydia Piechowiak Drawing

English actor and burlesque artist Lydia Piechowiak is part of the cool cast of the Restoration romp THE LIBERTINE at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket.
Lydia, whose surname is from her Polish ancestry is also known by her stage name, the intoxicating ‘Miss Giddy Heights.’

TimeOut calls her “The international burlesque Dynamo… shimmering from elegant to debauched at the drop of a feather fan,” ideal credentials for her current ensemble West End role. After completing a degree in TV, Film and Theatre from the University of Bristol Lydia studied at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York before establishing her own theatre company Open Door Productions.

Recently seen in the film BRIDGET JONES’ BABY, Lydia also received rave reviews from theatre critics as the over-the-top refugee maid Mitizi in the UK tour of Agatha Christie’s A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED earlier this year. I intercepted her exit from an evening LIBERTINE performance last week to get this drawing signed.

Drawing: Rachel Tucker in Wicked

Posted on October 21, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

rachel-tucker

Northern Irish singer Rachel Tucker has returned to the Apollo Victoria Theatre in London to play Elphaba in WICKED-a role she knows well, having played it longer than anyone else in the production’s history. Rachel replaced Alexia Khadine in March 2010 and in June 2012 she succeeded Kerry Ellis as the longest running performer to play the green witch. She left the show in October of that year for maternity leave after over 900 performances. In September 2015 Rachel reprised the role on Broadway, replacing Caroline Bowman at the Gershwin Theatre until 30 July this year. In early September she returned to the London production in time for its 10th Anniversary, replacing Emma Hatton where she signed my sketch.

Drawing: Matthew Lewis and Ruta Gedmintas in Unfaithful

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

unfaithful

The penultimate play this season at London’s ‘hippist, shabby, chic theatre space’ Found 111 was Owen McCafferty’s latest blackly comic UNFAITHFUL. The four-handler, 75 minute piece is a exploration of infidelity and its effects on a marriage. “When paths cross, a spark is ignited that reveals the hidden truths of two tangled relationships, the unspoken desires, the piercing regrets and the postponed conversations.” One of the couple is Peter and Tara played by Matthew Lewis and Ruta Gedmintas.

Matthew is probably best known as Neville Longbottom, one of the ‘Big Seven’ in the HARRY POTTER film franchise and latterly as Jamie Bradley in THE SYNDICATE AND Ruta’s TV CV includes THE STAIN, SPOOKS, CODE9, THE BORGIAS and THE TUDORS. I meet both at the trendy pop-up Charing Cross theatre during the six-week run of UNFAITHFUL and they signed this drawing for me.

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.