Drawing: Stephanie Cole in This May Hurt A Bit

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

steph cole

Stella Feehily’s NHS-in-crisis drama THIS MAY HURT A BIT ran at the St James Theatre in London, appropriately in May 2014 after a National tour. Directed by her husband Max Stafford-Clark, the play is based on his own experience after suffering a stroke. Beloved British actress Stephanie Cole played Iris, a feisty 90 year-old suffering from bouts of memory loss. In hospital she shares a ward with a recently expired corpse and John, a vicar, who has lost his ability to speak.

“Stephanie Cole breaks your hearts with Iris’s mixture of gallantry and pathos,” wrote Jane Shilling in her Telegraph review.

Stephanie’s long and distinguished stage and screen career has seen her appear in a number of high-profile productions. Her TV roles include Aunty Joan in DOC MARTIN, Delphine Featherstone in OPEN ALL HOURS and STILL OPEN ALL HOURS and Sylvia Goodwin in CORONATION STREET. Her stage appearances include Miss Casewell in THE MOUSETRAP at the Ambassador’s Theatre in 1968 and her most prominent role as Betty in the 1994 hit comedy A PASSIONATE WOMAN at the Comedy Theatre, which enjoyed an extended nine-month run. After the final night’s curtain call she was the subject of THIS IS YOUR LIFE.

I left this sketch of Stephanie with her London agents and it came back signed with a note attached, ‘what a good portrait!’… so I guess she liked it.

Drawing: Zoe Rainey in Romeo and Juliet

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

zoe rainey

Northern Irish actress Zoe Rainey is appearing in her second Shakespearian production of the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s season of Plays at the Garrick, playing Romeo’s mum, Lady Montague in ROMEO AND JULIET. Earlier this year she played Emilia in the tragicomedy THE WINTER’S TALE. Prior to that Zoe had worked with Kenneth in the live action remake of Disney’s CINDERELLA and will be seen next year in another live action adaption of an animated classic, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, also playing a maternal role, this time Belle’s mother. Her extensive stage career includes WICKED at the Apollo, GUYS AND DOLLS and PARADE at the Donmar Warehouse and the World Premiere of FINDING NEVERLAND at the Leicester Curve.

Zoe signed this sketch leaving the Garrick after an evening performance of R&J last week.

Drawing: Trevor Dion Nicholas, Dean John-Wilson and Jade Ewen in Aladdin

Posted on July 7, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

aladdin

The stage adaption of Disney’s 1992 animated film ALADDIN transferred from Broadway to London’s West End at Soho’s Prince Edward Theatre last month. Joining British stars Dean John-Wilson as Aladdin and Jade Ewen as Jasmine was Trevor Dion Nicholas from the New York production as the Genie.

The musical premiered in Seattle in 2011 before opening on Broadway in March 2014 at the New Amsterdam Theatre where it still continues. It was nominated for five Tony Awards.

I left this drawing of the three leads at the theatre with one wish and it was granted… I mean graphed.

Drawing: Frank Langella in Frost/Nixon and The Father

Posted on June 30, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Frank Langella

Frank Langella has won four Tony Awards. His latest was for his role as Andre in Florian Zeller’s THE FATHER this year. He played Richard Nixon, the only US President to resign the office in Peter Morgan’s FROST/NIXON at London’s Donmar Warehouse and the Gielgud before transferring to Broadway’s Bernard B Jacobs Theatre in April 2007, winning his third Tony. He reprised the role in the film version the following year, earning Oscar, Globe,SAG and BAFTA Award nominations.

I sent Frank this sketch of him in both roles while he was in THE FATHER at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre last month and he signed it with his unique abbreviated initials graph.

Drawing: Michael Brandon and Cherie Lunghi in Off The Kings Road

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Michael Brandon Cherie Lunghi

Top Hollywood publicist, manager and producer Neil Koenigsberg’s debut play, the bittersweet comedy drama OFF THE KINGS ROAD transferred to London’s Jermyn Street Theatre this month after successful runs in New York and Los Angeles. Michael Brandon plays Matt Browne, a recent widower, who takes a week’s respite in his favourite city, London, in a small hotel off the King’s Road. His stay turns into a voyage of self-discovery with a number of unplanned encounters, including a Russian prostitute and her jealous boyfriend. WestEnd Wilma described it as ‘an intelligent little gem.’

A unique part of the production is the e-appearance of Oscar winner Jeff Bridges as Matt’s LA-based psychologist Dr Kozlowski via Skype in three short segments.

Cheri Lunghi makes a delightful cameo as the nosey hotel resident and cat lover Ellen.
I left this sketch of Michael and Cheri at the theatre on the final day and it came back today signed and dedicated.

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: Chris Lemmon in A Twist Of Lemmon

Posted on June 22, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Chris Lemmon

I often use the word favourite. That’s because many of the people I draw are favourites or appear in favourite productions. In the words of Julie Andrews, ‘these are a few of my favourite things’, which is easier than saying ‘supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’.

Jack Lemmon was a favourite. Well, he still is. They continue to ‘live’ and the Hollywood legend’s only son, Chris has made sure of that with his autobiographical play, A TWIST OF LEMMON, celebrating his famous father. It’s based on his 2006 book ‘A Twist of Lemmon: A Tribute To My Father.’ The forward is written by Kevin Spacey, who credits Jack with his pursuit of acting. He would say, people who do well in this business have an obligation to send the elevator back down to help lift people starting out on the ground floor.”

Obviously Chris has more than a passing resemblance to his dad with the familiar impish grin and other Lemmonesque mannerisms. It’s hard to believe it’s Chris and not Jack onstage,” wrote Jordan Young in the LA Examiner.

He bought his solo show to the St James Theatre in London this month. It’s two hours of stories and anecdotes, a mixture of impersonating his father and being himself, punctuated by jazz standards. “How do you follow in the footsteps of a giant?” he asks the audience as he talks about what it was like to grow up with an internationally loved celebrity and how that impacted on a normal father-son relationship and his own aspirations under the weight of his father’s Oscar-winning heritage.

Described as beautiful, complex and poignant. It’s a touching tribute of a multifaceted yet troubled actor. In her review for British Theatre.Com, Helena Payne wrote, “Lemmon Jr brims with a boundless energy, his story telling is on point. He beautifully portrays Jack as he realises the joy of performing and making people laugh.”

Chris signed this drawing for me at the theatre and wrote me a nice note.

Chris Lemmon Note

Drawing: Kit Harington in War Horse and Doctor Faustus

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Kit Harington

After making his stage debut as Albert in the original cast of WAR HORSE on the Olivier stage at the National Theatre in 2007, Kit Harington auditioned for his first small screen role, landing the part of Jon Snow in the TV phenomenon GAME OF THRONES and galloping to international fame.

Michael Giltz in the Huffington Post wrote, “Kit Harington makes his debut as Albert and I’m not certain if he’s a major new talent or just ideally suited for this particular role, but he’s wonderfully understated as the rough, simple but sweet kid who is devastated to find his dad has sold the horse to the military so he joins up so he can find Joey and bring him home safely.” The production transferred to the New London Theatre in London’s West End in April 2009 with Kit reprising his role until September that year.

He returned to the stage in April to play the over-reaching protagonist in the revival of Christopher Marlowe’s 1594 tragedy DOCTOR FAUSTUS at the Duke of York’s, which is now into its final week.

Kit had previously signed a Faustus sketch for me during early previews, but I was keen to get this one graphed of him as the Doctor and Albert. I managed to find a close enough spot among the quickly growing throng behind the stage door barriers after Saturday’s matinee when Kit does his customary session with the fans and managed to slip it to him through the sea of selfies. He appreciated the sketch particularly the WAR HORSE reference, even taking the time to dedicate it for me.

Drawing: Elizabeth McGovern in Sunset at the Villa Thalia

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Elizabeth McGovern

DOWNTON ABBEY’S Elizabeth McGovern returned to the London Stage this month in Alexi Kaye Campbell’s new play SUNSET AT THE VILLA THALIA on the Dorfman stage at the National Theatre. She plays June, the ‘retsina-sloshing’ alcoholic wife of the enigmatic Harvey, (Ben Miles) a US Government rep during the political turmoil in Greece in 1967. The ‘funny and passionate’ play looks at the effects of Western interventionism on the Greek nation and it’s people. The Times said ‘The play is a winner. Elizabeth McGovern is superbly funny.”

American-born but London-resident for many years, Elizabeth played Cora Crawley, the Countess of Grantham in the hugely popular TV series DOWNTON ABBEY from 2010 until this year. It’s a role that has earned her a Golden Globe and an Emmy nomination and has won the ensemble SAG Award twice. She also received a Best Supporting Actress Oscar and a Globe nomination for the 1981 film RAGTIME.

Elizabeth is also an accomplished singer-songwriter. In 2008 she formed the band ‘Sadie and the Hotheads’ which became a regular fixture at the Castle Pub in Lndon’s Portobello Rd.

Fittingly, I left this sketch of her as June in June at the National, and she signed it for me.

Drawing: Emmi Christensson as Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera

Posted on June 15, 2016 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Emmi Christensson

On Friday, Swedish soprano Emmi Christensson played Christine Daae for the final time in THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London. Emmi has been the alternate Christine since July 2014 but she now returns to her homeland to play the lead in Stockholm starting in September. But I managed to get her to sign my sketch before she headed back to Scandinavia.