Drawing: George Asprey in The Lion King

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of George Asprey in The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre on London's West End

Continuing my drawings from the hit Disney musical THE LION KING after my wife and I saw the West End production at the Lyceum Theatre last month. It’s an annual tradition for us to catch something Shakespearean for our wedding anniversary and since the show is loosely based on HAMLET, we decided to take in a Sunday matinee.

English stage and screen actor George Asprey plays the murderous villain, Scar, who is even more loosely based on Shakespeare’s main antagonist King Claudius. George’s extensive television credits include appearances in THE CROWN (Seasons 1 & 2), THE BILL, HOLBY CITY and THE DYING OF THE LIGHT for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award in 1994. His notable stage roles were Billy Flynn in CHICAGO, Rusty Charlie in GUYS & DOLLS for Birmingham Rep and Rolf in THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Sadler’s Wells and the UK Tour.

I managed to catch up with George to sign my sketch last Tuesday, when he arrived for the evening performance.

Drawing: Gary Jordan in The Lion King

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Gary Jordan as Zazu in "TheLion King" at the Lyceum Theatre on London's West End

Every November, to celebrate our wedding anniversary, my wife and I take in a bit of the Bard – something Shakespearean or a show based on his works. This year we chose a Sunday matinee of the multi award-winning musical THE LION KING, based on the celebrated 1994 Disney animated film which in turn was inspired by HAMLET. Celebrating its 19th year at the Lyceum Theatre in London’s West End after opening on Broadway in 1997, winning six Tony Awards, the show has seen 24 global productions, seen by over 90 million people. I decided to sketch a few of my favourite characters.

The first is Zazu, the much-loved red-beaked hornbill, who acts as the King’s adviser ‘Mufasa’s little stooge’ or Polonius in the Shakespearean context. Played by Gary Jordan, who said in a recent interview that he “loves every minute of it’, who not only has to act and sing, but has to be a puppeteer as well. “I have to combine the performance for the bird and the actor to make them look like one.”

Gary himself is in his 20th year in theatre with an impressive resume, including AVENUE Q, GREASE, and ANYONE CAN WHISTLE. He is also a highly regarded pianist and musical director working with drama schools and cabarets around London. I met him at the stage door after last Saturday’s matinee where he signed my drawing.

Drawing: Toby Stephens and Lydia Leonard in Oslo

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Lydia Leonard and Toby Stephens in "Oslo" at the Harold Pinter Theatre on London's West End

OSLO tells the story of two maverick Norwegian diplomats who coordinated top secret talks that inspired seemingly impossible friendships leading to the groundbreaking Oslo Peace accords in 1993 between the Palestine Liberation Organisation and the State of Israel. JT Rogers play opened last year at the Lincoln Centre in New York, winning the Tony Award. The London production opened at the National Theatre for a brief and sold out run before transferring to the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End. Toby Stephens plays Terje Rod-Larsen and Lydia Leonard, his wife Mona Juul, the Norwegian diplomats who orchestrated the Peace accord between Yitzhak Rabin and the PLO’s Yasser Arafat. Both Toby and Lydia signed my sketch a couple of weeks ago at the Pinter stage door.

Drawing: Robert Glenister and Kris Marshall in Glengarry Glen Ross

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Robert Glenister and Kris Marshall in Glengarry Glen Ross at the Playhouse Theatre, London

Popular British TV stars Robert Glenister and Kris Marshall join Christian Slater in the first major revival in nearly a decade of David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize winning GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS at London’s Playhouse theatre. Set in the cut-throat world of a Chicago real-estate office, it’s a fast talking, expletive-filled depiction of sleazy salesmen scrapping it out. Robert plays the ‘spitting, hissing’, angry Moss and Kris is the uptight office manager, Williamson. I met both actors after last Saturday nights performance at the stage door, where they signed my sketch for me.

Drawing: John McCrea in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autgoraphed drawing of John McCrea in "Everybody's Talking About Jamie" at the Apollo Theatre on London's West End

The new musical EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE that generated a lot of buzz in Sheffield earlier this year has now transferred to London’s Apollo Theatre. Described as the ‘Billy Elliot for today’s generation’, it tells the story of Jamie New, a sixteen year-old schoolboy living on a Sheffield council estate who beats bullies and prejudice to go to the school prom in full drag. It’s based on the 2011 BBC documentary about secondary student Jamie Campbell’s ambition to become a drag queen.

The lead role is played by twenty-five year-old John McCrea who grew up near Sheffield and began his London stage career at the age of nine in CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG at the Palladium. In his five-star review for the Independent, Paul Taylor wrote, “the extraordinary bravura of John McCrea’s performance is the right mix of sas and sensitivity and strength.” I caught up with John before Saturday’s matinee at the stage door where he signed this montage sketch for me.

Drawing: Clare Louise Connolly in The Exorcist

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Autographed drawing of Clare Louise Connolly in The Exorcist at the Phoenix Theatre in London

When young English actress Clare Louise Connolly was auditioning for the part of Regan, the 12 year old possessed by the Devil in stage adaption of THE EXORCIST, she was mindful of the iconic scene in the 1973 movie, when the character’s head spins 360. “I was sure I told the director Sean Mathias, that my neck was extremely flexible,” she revealed in a recent interview. It obviously helped, she got the part and after a brief run last year at Birmingham Rep, has reprised the role in the West End at the Phoenix Theatre. Musical movie buffs may also remember her in a reverse and lot less graphic role-a screen adaption of a stage production-in the 2008 film version of MAMA MIA! She signed this montage sketch for me on her way into the theatre for another head-turning performance on Saturday.

Drawing: Adam Garcia in The Exorcist

Posted on November 6, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Adam Garcia Drawing

Australian-born, London-based actor, singer and dancer Adam Garcia is Father Damian Karras in the chilling West End premiere of the stage adaption of William Peter Blatty’s best-selling novel THE EXORCIST at the Phoenix Theatre, after an initial run at Birmingham Repertory last year. Adam, a two-time Olivier Award nominee, was last seen on the London stage in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s THE WINTER’S TALE at the Garrick in 2015. Among his many theatre roles is Flyero in the original London cast production of WICKED.

His breakthrough screen appearance was in COYOTE UGLY in 2000. Adam once again teamed up with Sir Kenneth, this time in the film remake of Agatha Christie’s MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS which opened last week. I caught up with him at the Phoenix stage door as he was returning from a break between Saturday’s performances. After signing my drawing and a brief chat about our Antipodean connections he said, “Better get back, got more demons to exorcise.”

Drawing: Hadley Fraser in Young Frankenstein

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

English actor and singer Hadley Fraser takes the lead role as Frederick Frankenstein in Mel Brook’s musical version of his 1974 film YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, which opened at the Garrick Theatre last month. Hadley made his West End debut as Marius in LES MISERABLES at the Palace Theatre in 2002 and performed the role of Grantaire in LES MISERABLES IN CONCERT: THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY at London’s 02 in 2010. The following year he played Raoul in three special concerts of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA at the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate the show’s 25th Anniversary, the last of which was screened live around the world. Also in 2011 he returned to LES MISERABLES as Javert at the Queens Theatre for a year. He signed this drawing for me at the stage door after a Saturday matinee a few weeks ago.

Drawing: Dianne Pilkington in Mamma Mia! and Young Frankenstein

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

Dianne Pilkington’s impressive stage career began in 1997 when became a cast member in the West End production of LES MISERABLES, including understudying the role of Fantine. After the UK tour of CATS, Dianne was selected to portray Glinda in the musical WICKED at the Apollo Victoria Theatre in 2007. From 2013-2016 she played Donna Sheridan in MAMMA MIA! at the Novello Theatre. This month Dianne began the West End run of Mel Brook’s musical version of his 1974 film YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN at the Garrick Theatre, playing Frederick Frankenstein’s fiancée Elizabeth Benning. Dianne signed my drawing after Saturday’s matinee.

Drawing: Christian Slater in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Mark Winter / Chicane

After a ten year hiatus, Christian Slater has returned to the West End in the revival of David Mamet’s landmark 1983 drama GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS, which is currently in previews, opening on 9 November at the Playhouse Theatre. Last seen in the business satire SWIMMING WITH SHARKS at the Vaudeville in 2007, Christian made his London stage debut as the rebellious Randle Patrick McMurphy in Dale Wasserman’s adaption of Ken Kesey’s cult novel ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST at the Gielgud in 2004. He reprised the role for a return season two years later at the Garrick. Christian very kindly met a few of us waiting at the Playhouse stage door after the first GLENGARRY matinee and signed my CUCKOO’s NEST sketch.